NewsX: Rights activist Aruna Roy has resigned from the Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council. The resignation is based on the failure of the Government to accept the council's recommendations on minimum wages to workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. This is the second time Aruna Roy has quit since the creation of NAC.
In UPA's first term, too, Aruna Roy quit the NAC in 2006, over the Government moving away from the common minimum programme. The activist's anger is owing to Prime Minister approaching the Karnataka High Court against against NAC's recommendations on payment of minimum wages. Worst is, the government had refused to pay the minimum wages even after the Supreme court refusing to stay the Karnataka High Court judgement.
Aruna Roy expressing her anger in a letter to NAC Chairperson has also wondered as to how a country like India can deny the payment of minimum wages and still make claims of inclusive growth.
This is not the first time that the Government is firefighting against its own popular schemes. There has been no dearth of announcements over such popular schemes. But when it come to its implementation, a lot is left to be desired with the Government even approaching the court to stall them. Apart from the minimum wages, the same can be said about Right to food, Right to Employment, Right to Health and even Right to Information.
