Govt rejects allegations of bias in MGNREGA fund release amid opposition protest in Lok Sabha
New Delhi (PTI): The government on Tuesday said it has never discriminated against any state in the release of MGNREGA funds amid a protest by opposition MPs in the Lok Sabha against the alleged delay in payment to some states for the rural employment scheme.
As the issue was raised during the Question Hour, the Lok Sabha witnessed protests with DMK and Trinamool Congress MPs entering the well of the House. Speaker Om Birla urged them to return to their seats, but they did not budge. Following this, the House was adjourned till 12 pm.
Birla urged the Opposition not to "politicise" the questions raised during the Question Hour.
Congress MP from Kerala Adoor Prakash highlighted a decline in the MGNREGA workforce in his state and attributed it to delayed payments and low wages.
"Workers in Kerala have not received their wages for the past three months, and Rs 811 crore is due under the scheme. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development has recommended linking MGNREGA wages to inflation and increasing the workdays to 150. Will the government release the pending amount without delay?" Prakash posed.
Minister of State for Rural Development Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani refuted the claims of withholding funds, stating that Kerala has already received nearly Rs 3,000 crore this year.
"Last year, Kerala got Rs 3,500 crore. The release of payments is a continuous process, and whatever is pending will be cleared within the next few weeks," he assured the House.
DMK MP Kanimozhi also raised concerns over the matter, saying Tamil Nadu had been waiting for Rs 4,034 crore in MGNREGA payments for the past five months.
"The scheme is demand-driven, and if payments are delayed by over 15 days, they must be paid with interest to workers. The Tamil Nadu chief minister has written to the prime minister, and we have met the minister who assured us that dues would be cleared. But we are still waiting," she said.
Responding to the concerns, Pemmasani pointed out that the MGNREGA Act, enacted by the UPA government, stipulates that delays beyond 15 days incur a penalty of 0.05 per cent interest.
"According to the law, if there is a delay, the state government initially pays the amount and the central government reimburses it. Tamil Nadu has already received Rs 7,300 crore. With a population of seven crore, Tamil Nadu receives over Rs 10,000 crore, comparable to Uttar Pradesh, which has a population of 20 crore. There is no question of bias," the minister said.
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also defended the government, saying, "Be it Tamil Nadu or West Bengal, the Modi government has never discriminated against any state. The pending MGNREGA dues, including material costs, will be released soon.
"Under UPA, from 2006-07 to 2013-14, only Rs 111 crore was allocated for person-days in West Bengal, while under the NDA, we have created 239 crore person-days and allocated Rs 54,515 crore," the agriculture minister said.
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Gold, silver soar as US-Iran deal hopes lift bullion demand
New Delhi (PTI): Gold prices rebounded by Rs 2,900 to Rs 1.55 lakh per 10 grams in the national capital on Wednesday, while silver climbed to Rs 2.54 lakh per kilogram as easing geopolitical tensions triggered a pullback in oil rates, boosting demand for precious metals.
According to the All India Sarafa Association, the yellow metal of 99.9 per cent purity jumped by Rs 2,900, or nearly 2 per cent, to Rs 1,55,400 per 10 grams (inclusive of all taxes) from Tuesday's closing level of Rs 1,52,500 per 10 grams.
Traders attributed the surge in bullion prices to reports that Washington and Tehran are close to finalising a framework agreement to end months of conflict, raising the prospects of smoother flows through the Strait of Hormuz and easing inflation concerns tied to energy markets.
"Gold rallied strongly on Wednesday as easing geopolitical tensions triggered a sharp reversal in key macro drivers that had recently pressured precious metals," Saumil Gandhi, Senior Analyst - Commodities at HDFC Securities, said.
Silver prices also advanced for the third straight session by rising Rs 3,500, or 1.4 per cent, to Rs 2,54,500 per kg (inclusive of all taxes). The metal had settled at Rs 2,51,000 per kg in the previous session, as per the Association.
"The prospect of a diplomatic breakthrough triggered a steep decline in oil prices and the US dollar, easing concerns about inflation while boosting demand for precious metals," Gandhi said.
Globally, spot gold increased by USD 106.15, or 2.33 per cent, to USD 4,663.70 per ounce while silver gained USD 3.40, or 4.68 per cent, to USD 76.24 per ounce.
"Gold witnessed a sharp rally as markets reacted positively to reports that the US and Iran are moving closer to a one-page agreement framework aimed at ending the conflict," Jateen Trivedi, VP Research Analyst - Commodity and Currency, LKP Securities, said.
Despite strong international gains, rupee strength limited the upside in domestic gold prices. The market is now highly focused on final confirmation and execution of the proposed deal, he added.
Any negative surprise or breakdown in negotiations could trigger a sharp sell-off in gold, while a successful agreement and sustained ceasefire could push the bullion prices higher in the near-term, Trivedi said.
