New Delhi, March 19 The Samyukt Kisan Morcha, a farmers' body, congratulated the Jharkhand assembly and the Hemant Soren government on Thursday for passing a resolution urging the Centre to continue with the repealed rural employment guarantee scheme, MGNREGA.
Pointing out that the assemblies of Punjab, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Telangana have already passed similar resolutions, it appealed to all other non-NDA state governments to adopt similar resolutions.
The SKM also called upon workers and farmers in states and Union Territories going to polls to vote against the BJP.
In a statement, the SKM said the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, or the VB-G RAM G Act, is an effort to promote corporate development in rural India instead of pro-poor development works.
"The SKM congratulates the Jharkhand assembly and the Hemant Soren government for passing a resolution on March 18, urging the Union government to continue with the framework of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) instead of the VB-G RAM G Act," the statement said.
"The resolution demanded maintaining the demand-based, rights-based, and fully centrally sponsored structure of the MGNREGA," it said.
Ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in Kerala, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, and Puducherry, it appealed to all farmers and workers to "punish the anti-worker, anti-farmer BJP in the assembly elections to protect workers' rights, fight the increased financial burden on states, and fight against anti-federal policies."
It said an electoral setback to the BJP-NDA will strengthen worker-farmer unity and ensure unity of all anti-corporate forces to fight pro-corporate policies and legislations such as the VB-G RAM G Act.
"The SKM appeals to build and intensify constant, united, pan-India struggles in coordination with Central Trade Unions and other unions of workers, agricultural worker platforms, and the NREGA Sangharsh Morcha, until the Union government restores a strengthened MGNREGA," it added.