Telangana Assembly passes resolution against replacement of MGNREGA
Hyderabad (PTI): Amid opposition from the BJP members, the Telangana Legislative Assembly on Friday passed a resolution opposing the Centre's move to replace the MGNREGA with VB G RAM G Act and demanded that the former legislation be continued.
Moving the resolution, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said the new law adversely affects the rights of the poor and women workers, and also undermines the federal spirit by causing additional financial burden on states.
He also demanded that the funding pattern under MGNREGA be continued.
The spirit of Mahatma Gandhi is weakened by removing his name in the title of the new legislation, he alleged.
Claiming that the provision to pause for 60-day during agricultural season would cause injustice to landless poor, he said the employment should be available throughout the year.
While 266 types of work can be taken up under MGNREGA, the new law removes certain works like development of lands which hurts small and marginal farmers, Dalits and tribals, he pointed out and sought the continuation of existing list of works.
Alleging that the VB G RAM G Act is anti-women as it reduces number of work days, the CM said poor women suffer because of this.
"By taking all these issues into consideration and keeping in view the objectives and aims of MGNREGA, this House resolves that the NREGA law be continued as it is to fulfil the aspirations of workers' families," the resolution said.
Revanth Reddy noted that 90 per cent of those who benefited in Telangana by MGNREGA, enacted during the UPA regime, were SCs, STs and BCs and that 62 per cent of them were women.
BJP legislators expressed their opposition to the resolution by voting against it when Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar sought members' response to the resolution, party MLA Palvai Harish Babu told PTI.
Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, state Panchayat Raj Minister D Anasuya Seethakka and the ruling Congress members defended MGNREGA and found fault with its replacement by the new law.
BJP floor leader A Maheshwar Reddy countered the state government's claims, saying the new law helps in realising Mahatma Gandhi's vision of 'Gram Swaraj' (village self rule).
VB G RAM G helps farmers as it pauses works during agricultural season to address shortage of workers, he said.
Meanwhile, certain comments CPI MLA Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao, who attacked BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, triggered a furore as BJP members objected to his remarks.
Speaker Prasad Kumar assured that he would look into the issue and expunge any objectionable remarks from records.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
