- 7 weeks ago
The big talking point of this episode of News Today is the Centre's move to replace MGNREGA with VB-G RAM G) bill.
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00:00Good evening, hello and welcome. You're with the news today. This is your prime time destination news, newsmakers, the talking points, the big talking point tonight.
00:10The Lok Sabha will go on well past midnight debating Prime Minister Modi government G. Ramji bill that will replace the Rural Employment Guarantee Act.
00:22Is this the end of the road for the UPA flagship Mandrega? That's the question that we will raise tonight. What is this confrontation all about? Why are millions of lives dependent on it?
00:36Among others will be someone who was the architect of Mandrega. Jor Drez will join me.
00:42And also, guess what? A cricket match in Lucknow could be cancelled because of fog and smog. Air emergency. Too little, too late.
00:55When are we going to wake up and smell the coffee or should we say the air?
01:00But first, as always, it's time for the nine headlines at nine to nine.
01:05The Modi government pushes ahead to pass the G. Ramji bill in Lok Sabha. This will replace Magan Rega, the Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme that was the flagship scheme of the Modi government, of the previous UPA government.
01:24Opposition questions the name change as the debate is underway.
01:28Delhi's air quality worsens as it does across North India. 50% work-from-home mandate in the national capital for private offices.
01:39Delhi's environment minister now blames Kejriwal for politicizing issue. But pollution debate will take place in the Lok Sabha tomorrow.
01:49The toss for the India versus South Africa match delayed due to excessive smog in Lucknow.
01:55Indian player Hardik Pandya seen wearing a mask on the ground.
02:02Game over for the Luthra brothers in Goa.
02:06Luthra brothers remanded to five-day police custody by a Goa court.
02:10Next hearing on December 22nd, they are accused of committing illegalities in the nightclub that led to a fire which caused more than 25 lives lost.
02:21Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Sawan finds himself in a controversy accused of insulting Army's Operation Sindhuar Valor.
02:34Says India was defeated on day one of the operation.
02:38Questioned need for an army of 12 lakh soldiers.
02:40He's targeted by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, accusing him of playing Pakistan's language.
02:50Two days after a Kabaddi player Rana Balachauria was shot dead during a match in Punjab's Mohali,
02:57the police have killed the alleged mastermind Harpinder Singh in an encounter to police personnel injured in the exchange of fire.
03:04Centre issues new guidelines for social media and OTT platforms.
03:10OTT will remain outside the jurisdiction of the censor board.
03:14The central government will oversee the regulatory mechanisms.
03:20No end to trouble for Shilpa Shetty Income Tax Department raids a club in Bengaluru owned by the actor.
03:26Earlier, the Bengaluru police had booked the pub for allegedly operating beyond permitted hours.
03:31And after summoning Bangladesh's envoy over extremist threats in Dhaka,
03:38India now shuts its visa application centre in the Bangladesh capital.
03:43But the story that's breaking tonight, the Lok Sabha is expected now to go well past midnight to debate the contentious G.Ram G. bill.
04:05The bill that will replace the Maganrega, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
04:14That debate now has become a bone of contention between the government and the opposition.
04:19The government aiming to pass the bill in this session.
04:22The opposition saying that the government is trying to bulldoze legislation without even going through any kind of legislative oversight or scrutiny.
04:32Aishwarya Paliwal now joins me.
04:34Aishwarya Pali will be joining me shortly because she will tell us just why this bill has become such a hot potato.
04:43Why is it that the Narendra Modi government is determined to pass the G.Ram G. bill?
04:49Because remember, this is a bill much like the farm laws which earlier took place,
04:54which will affect millions of people.
04:57The government insists that the bill is an improved version of Maganrega.
05:02On the other hand, the opposition claims that the government wants to shift the fiscal burden,
05:10the financial burden of paying for rural employment from the centre to the states.
05:16And that has led to confrontation in the Lok Sabha.
05:21Aishwarya Paliwal now joins me with the very latest.
05:24Aishwarya, why is it the government determined to get this bill passed tonight?
05:30There are only two days left for the parliament session.
05:32Why is it unwilling to send a contentious bill to a select committee for a review?
05:38Well, you know, Rajti, from what we are understanding at the moment,
05:42and these are the things that we have been speaking with a lot of leaders,
05:46at least over the past three days, all of them are saying that they need to pass it
05:50so that today it can be passed in Lok Sabha, tomorrow Rajya Sabha,
05:54and then they will be able to allocate the budget.
05:56That is something that the BJP at the moment is looking at.
05:58They are also saying that all those things that the opposition has been speaking about,
06:02there has been corruption when we speak about it.
06:04There also have been a lot of people who have not been working but have been getting money.
06:09So, all those loopholes have now been looked at.
06:11The government is also saying that if you actually study the bill,
06:14you will understand that the number of days have actually been increased.
06:18And the real reason why they want to do it tonight is the reason
06:21because they are saying that once it is passed,
06:23then they will be able to allocate the budget in the upcoming budget session,
06:26which will take place next year.
06:28So, let me get this clear.
06:29You are saying the government is in a hurry to pass this bill
06:32because the financial allocations that have to be made in the union budget in February,
06:37the government can then make the necessary adjustments
06:39because, remember, this new bill will pass a substantial burden of the finance on to states.
06:45Am I correct?
06:46They want to pass it ahead of next month's budget session.
06:51Right.
06:51Definitely, Rajdeep.
06:52And you know what the government also has been speaking, Rajdeep,
06:55is the fact that they believe that earlier,
06:56because the central government used to give money,
06:59there were certain states who were getting a larger chunk of that money
07:02and there were some states because they were not able to give out all those papers,
07:07those people were actually, those states were actually not able to get more money from them.
07:12So, now the burden is also on the state
07:14and now they will have to make sure that the state also tells the center
07:17where exactly this money is going.
07:19So, those kind of changes now have been made.
07:22Aishwarya Paliwal, joining me as to why the government wants to press ahead
07:25with this bill tonight itself, just to explain,
07:29what are the proposed J. Ramji bill changes?
07:32Why is this bill, how does it compare with the Maganrega,
07:35which was, remember, the flagship Rural Employment Guarantee Act of the UPA government.
07:41Under Maganrega, rural households were guaranteed 100 days of employment.
07:45The J. Ramji bill proposes to increase this to 125 days.
07:49But the funding patterns have changed.
07:51Maganrega provided 100% central funding for wages,
07:5575% for material costs.
07:58The new bill shifts it to a 60-40 center-state funding ratio
08:02with 90% central funding for Northeast states, Jammu and Kashmir and the Himalayan states.
08:08Unlike Maganrega, which offered work throughout the year,
08:11the new bill says it will give no employment during 60 days of peak agricultural season.
08:16Wage payments will be faster according to the government under the J. Ramji bill,
08:22claiming they will reduce the time from 15 days to one week.
08:26The planning authority also shifts as states prepare annual work plans under Maganrega.
08:32Now it is the center that will determine statewide allocations under this bill.
08:37Additionally, while the center must fund all demanded work,
08:41under Maganrega states bear the extra cost if the budget is exceeded.
08:46Finally, work under Maganrega spanned broad categories.
08:50The J. Ramji bill focuses on four priority areas,
08:54water security, rural infrastructure, livelihood infrastructure and disaster management.
09:00I am going to look at two aspects to it.
09:03One, the social welfare and economic aspects and the political aspects.
09:07I am going to start with the politics.
09:09What is the real objective of this J. Ramji bill?
09:12Is the J. Ramji bill progressive or regressive?
09:16Squeeze on central funds.
09:18Will it derail job schemes?
09:20Is it the end of the road for the UPA flagship Maganrega?
09:23Has Maganrega become outdated?
09:26Joining me now first on the political face-off is
09:28Shehzad Poonawala, National Spokesperson BJP
09:31and Dr. Ajay Kumar, National Spokesperson Congress.
09:35Let's turn to you Shehzad Poonawala first.
09:37First, it's not just about the name change.
09:40You are removing Mahatma Gandhi's name and making it the J. Ramji bill
09:44which has attracted some attention.
09:46But it's the fact that the entire burden or a large share of the burden
09:50now will move from centre to states.
09:53And therefore, the opposition is alleging
09:55the centre doesn't want to bear the burden
09:58of a rural employment guarantee scheme.
10:01Your response, Mr. Poonawala.
10:02First of all, let me address the name change aspect
10:09because you started off with that.
10:11Rajdeep, and don't take this personally
10:13or please don't allow the congressperson to take it personally.
10:16Supposing a lady named Antonia
10:18changes her name to Sonia
10:20because she doesn't like her name,
10:21that is name change.
10:22But if a new Italian child is born
10:24and his name is Rahul,
10:25that's a new child.
10:27It's a new creation.
10:28So you won't say Rahul has changed his name.
10:30Rahul has been born
10:31and therefore this is a new name
10:33that has been given to a new entity.
10:35This VB J. Ramji
10:37has not replaced any names.
10:39It has not changed any names.
10:41It literally describes what the law stands for.
10:44It's a Viksit Bharat law.
10:46It's aimed at Viksit Bharat.
10:47It is a guarantee for Rozgar and Ajiwika.
10:50It is a mission mode that will be applied.
10:52And it is for Grami Lilaka.
10:54So, now it is good that people are seeing Rahul
10:57and there needs to see Rome.
10:58Sir, sir, sir, I don't want to go into the name,
11:00but I didn't want to focus only on the name change,
11:03but the fact, Mr. Poonawala,
11:04Mahatma Gandhi's name is gone.
11:06Yes or no?
11:07That is the truth.
11:08We'll come to the real content change in a moment.
11:11But Mahatma Gandhi's name is gone.
11:13You can do all the twists and turns that you want.
11:17Let me address it in a different way, Razdeep.
11:23Mahatma Gandhi had four or five pillars of his vichar.
11:26Ram, Gram, Swadeshi, Satya, Swachata.
11:31Swachata who has taken forward?
11:33Modi ji.
11:33Khadi, Swadeshi who has taken forward?
11:36Modi ji.
11:37Who has made Ram and who has made Ram?
11:38Who has made Ram?
11:39Do you need to speak?
11:40And in this, there is the whole uplapadi of Gram.
11:43And by the way, you have quoted one thing
11:45that the entire plans will be devised by the centre of the state.
11:48That is not correct.
11:49The centre has given four themes.
11:52Those four themes are also related to rural areas,
11:54but it will be a bottoms-up approach.
11:56The panchayat will decide what work has to be done.
11:58It will be 125 days of guarantee.
12:01Now there will be more transparency
12:02because it is going to be AI enabled.
12:04It is going to be enabled with GPS monitoring.
12:07It is going to have not just social audit,
12:08but it is going to be monitoring real time.
12:11The payments will be quicker.
12:12So it is a completely new system.
12:14But I have two or three points.
12:15You said that the states have to now shell out more.
12:17Let me just have 10-20 seconds on that.
12:19The very first proposal that states says to share more
12:22was given by Mr. P. Chidambrabh.
12:24Somebody you interview very regularly, Rajdeep,
12:26and he has been the finance minister of the country.
12:28You get opportunity to interview also.
12:31You ask him when you next time interview him.
12:32He was the one who said that states should share more
12:35so that they are more responsible
12:36because we have seen the kind of corruption that takes place
12:38whether it is in West Bengal
12:39or it was previously in Uttar Pradesh
12:41which Jairam Ramesh used to flag.
12:43Secondly, you have said that there will be a pause.
12:45That pause idea also was given by Sharad Pawar.
12:48And I agree with it.
12:48Why?
12:49Because during the agricultural period,
12:51the labor used to become scarce.
12:53That used to mean more cost input for the farmers.
12:55So today who are opposing VB Jiramji,
12:58are they opposing the farmers getting the labor availability
13:01during harvest season at a lower cost?
13:03Are they saying Sharad Pawar was anti-Mahatma Gandhi?
13:06They must evaluate before they speak.
13:08Thirdly, the state's share.
13:10Now let me just come down to that also.
13:11Rajdeep, when the UPA government was there
13:14and they wanted to chop off the state national contribution,
13:18at that time states were getting 31% of the devoluted funds.
13:21Today they get 41%.
13:23The states got 22 lakh crores under Manmohan Singh.
13:25Today we have given them 85 lakh crores.
13:28And this is over and above the fact
13:29that we have given tap water connections,
13:31Ayushman Bharat scheme,
13:33they have given rural roads,
13:34we have given plethora of schemes like
13:36Nal Se Jal Yojana, Ujwalai Yojana, Kisan Samman Niti.
13:40All of this has been funded by the center.
13:42So despite giving more things on social welfare by the center,
13:45despite more funds being devoluted to the states,
13:48we are spending,
13:49we are ensuring that the states continue to run this project
13:52with more responsibility.
13:54By the way, the UPA,
13:55now you said that Manrega ke liye end of road.
13:57You know, Jairam Ramesh,
13:58last sentence, just 10 seconds,
14:00because I have met you after so many days.
14:02Rajdeep, I was really missing you also.
14:03And God bless you with great health.
14:05And please keep smiling
14:06and please keep listening to good music.
14:08Okay, so Mr. Jairam Ramesh
14:10has said Manrega is not a permanent solution
14:13back in 2006-2007.
14:16Do you know that?
14:16And today, Manrega,
14:18which had come down to 33,000 crore funding
14:20during the UPA tenure,
14:21we took it right up to 80,000 crores.
14:23We gave almost 8 lakh crores.
14:25The UPA during its 10 years gave 1.9 lakh crores.
14:27And last statement,
14:28Rajdeep, you said Mahatma Gandhi Kaapman.
14:30When Nrega was bought in 2004-05,
14:33it did not have Mahatma Gandhi's name.
14:34This was later on attached in 2009.
14:37So were they insulting Mahatma Gandhi?
14:38When they changed the Jawahar Yoruj,
14:40to Nrega, did they insult Jawahar Ji?
14:42Mr. Poonawala,
14:43I gave you uninterrupted time.
14:45Ajay Kumar,
14:46you will get the same benefit to answer
14:49certain important points
14:51that Mr. Poonawala has made.
14:53In particular,
14:54that the belief is
14:55that this scheme needed improvement,
14:57that the Maganrega scheme
14:59as it existed
15:00led to a lack of accountability,
15:02there was corruption,
15:04and therefore,
15:05it needs greater monitoring.
15:06This will be ensured
15:07by the new scheme
15:09with specific targets being set.
15:11How do you respond?
15:12So,
15:13like he told a story,
15:16you know,
15:17whenever you want
15:18to go to a bus stand in India,
15:20you'll have a snake charmer
15:22and you'll get distracted
15:23and sab aapke pocket maa ke chale jayenge.
15:25No offense meant to a political party,
15:27but this is what the pocket maari
15:29is happening in this party.
15:31The present ruling party.
15:32For the simple reason,
15:33let me explain to you.
15:36The second part,
15:37and I'll come in detail,
15:38the second part is on corruption.
15:39A government which gives 25,000 crores
15:43to a business house
15:44and gets 800 crores
15:45of electoral bond
15:47is talking on corruption?
15:49I mean,
15:49what kind of nonsensical spiel is this,
15:53you know?
15:53Every day you hear these guys
15:55are, you know,
15:55robbing and robbing the country,
15:58settling schools,
15:59Sardes area,
16:00this, that.
16:01So,
16:01I don't want to get into the corruption.
16:03This is humongous.
16:07Now,
16:07come into this scheme.
16:09This scheme
16:11is a total demolishing
16:14of the rights of the rural poor
16:17because look at the intent.
16:19They'll keep quoting Sharad Pawa,
16:20they'll keep quoting Chidambhra.
16:22The question is,
16:23we brought the Mandrega,
16:24it continued to be there
16:25and we have spoken for it.
16:26What we stand in the parliament
16:28and speak about it
16:28is what is the Congress stand.
16:30And the stand is what?
16:31That you should leave people
16:33during the sowing season.
16:34The reason was
16:36that increased the bargaining
16:40power of the rural labor.
16:43The rural labor
16:44were able to negotiate
16:45better rates.
16:46Now,
16:47these
16:48party of the rich,
16:51party of the connected
16:52will ensure that
16:53the poor village labor
16:55has got no bargaining tool.
16:56Double promise is
16:57125 days guaranteed labor
17:00as opposed to 100.
17:02When you say
17:02it is going to destroy
17:03the scheme,
17:04you have to give
17:04a specific reason
17:06why you say
17:06it's going to destroy
17:07Madanrega.
17:08So,
17:09indulge me.
17:10I will give you
17:11free health care
17:12but there is no hospital.
17:14I will give you
17:15125 days
17:16but the budget
17:16we will decide.
17:18We will fix the budget.
17:19What?
17:20This is nonsense.
17:21I will give you
17:22free food
17:23but there is no
17:24ration shop.
17:25So,
17:25the 125 days
17:27is a lie.
17:28And I'll explain to you
17:29because it is
17:30the Madanrega
17:32was demand oriented.
17:33You could demand.
17:34It was by law
17:35that you had to get it.
17:37Is 125 days
17:38a demand
17:39a legal entity?
17:40No.
17:41Can you demand
17:42and say that
17:43no,
17:43you will get it?
17:44No.
17:44Second issue,
17:45typical BJP style.
17:47I will decide
17:48what the village wants.
17:49Earlier,
17:50the village would decide.
17:52The village would decide
17:53what is the work
17:54to be needed.
17:54These guys are telling you
17:56that a village
17:57in Akbarpur
17:57and Bihar
17:58will tell you
17:59or you,
18:00Mr. Modi
18:01and Mr. Amit Shah
18:02will know
18:02what the village needs.
18:04The third important point,
18:06Mr. Poonawalla
18:07forgets that
18:08money increases
18:09as the budget increases.
18:11Percentage of GDP,
18:12sir,
18:13that is the economics
18:14but economics
18:14is not the strong point.
18:16They have not
18:17increased the budget
18:18on education,
18:18health or rural
18:19development at all.
18:21They have reduced
18:21the budget
18:22on percentage.
18:24It is always
18:24a percentage
18:25but they will
18:25come with your
18:26fund.
18:26Obviously,
18:27the country's
18:27budget has increased
18:28from 2004 to 2025.
18:31Obviously,
18:31the numbers will change.
18:32It's percentage,
18:33sir.
18:33So,
18:33next time,
18:35the BJP,
18:36my colleague
18:37from BJP,
18:37Shaisal,
18:38should bring
18:38the percentage number.
18:39The most important part,
18:4260-40,
18:43you think,
18:45you think,
18:45we had
18:45Jawar,
18:46Rozgar,
18:47Yojna earlier
18:48before 2004,
18:5060-40,
18:51you think anybody,
18:52any state would have
18:53the money,
18:54you have reduced,
18:55they are saying
18:56you have given more money.
18:57The percentage,
18:58the devolution of money,
19:00the devolution of money
19:01has reduced
19:02and the ability
19:03of the states
19:03in percentage income
19:04has come down
19:05by the states
19:05because GST council,
19:07they stopped giving
19:08the automatic yearly increase
19:10that now they are saying
19:12if the
19:13G.Ramji bill
19:15is going to be implemented,
19:16if it's 1.5 lakh crores,
19:18Rajdeep,
19:19mark my words,
19:2190,000 they will pay,
19:2260,000 the states will pay.
19:26Earlier,
19:26the states were only paying
19:2775% of the material cost
19:30and that is why
19:32in COVID,
19:33who saved this country,
19:34who brought,
19:35who saved this nation
19:37of the poor people
19:38from hunger
19:39and I'll tell you
19:40what most important,
19:41they have abolished reservation
19:42and I come from Jharkhand,
19:44Rajdeep,
19:44only 10 seconds,
19:45no,
19:45I'll tell you
19:46only 10 seconds.
19:47You have stopped hearing
19:48about diarrheal deaths
19:50in the tribal areas
19:51by and large.
19:53You have stopped hearing
19:54about malnutrition
19:55in colonies
19:56because the earning
19:58had increased,
19:59the tribals
20:00were insured,
20:01the schedule costs
20:02were insured,
20:03the women were insured.
20:05They have thrown
20:06all these people
20:07under the bus.
20:08And then,
20:09I've listened to you,
20:11Mr. Dr. Ajay Kumar,
20:13I think you have to be fair.
20:14I've listened to both
20:15of you patiently.
20:16Shahzad Punawala,
20:17it again comes to intent.
20:19You see,
20:20every government
20:21wants to seemingly
20:22impose its stamp
20:24on welfare schemes
20:26and the Modi government
20:27has tried to build
20:28large welfare schemes.
20:29They've succeeded
20:29to some extent
20:30by creating
20:31a large pool
20:32of beneficiaries
20:33or the so-called
20:34labhartis
20:35of government schemes.
20:37Here you have
20:37a centrally sponsored scheme
20:39which could be improved on.
20:41I don't think anyone
20:42would doubt
20:42that every scheme
20:43needs improvement.
20:44But there is a danger
20:46by making it
20:47another centrally sponsored scheme
20:49that you're not
20:50actually improving it,
20:52you're simply
20:53making it
20:55yet another attempt
20:56by the center
20:57to dictate
20:58terms to the state.
21:00It will actually
21:00go against
21:01the federal spirit.
21:07So let me address
21:08this one by one.
21:09First,
21:10you rightly use
21:10the most important
21:11word of the debate,
21:12Rajdeep intent.
21:14There was once
21:14upon a time,
21:15two generation,
21:16three generation,
21:17Garibi Hatao
21:18was in Nara,
21:19never in Niyat.
21:21Narendra Modi
21:21came,
21:2225 crore
21:23loge
21:23go Garibi
21:23Narendra Modi
21:25came,
21:25per capita income
21:26dugna hua.
21:27Narendra Modi
21:28came,
21:284,5 crore
21:29loge
21:29go Garibi
21:30awas
21:30mila.
21:31Narendra Modi
21:31came,
21:3210 crore
21:32toilet
21:33bana.
21:33Narendra Modi
21:34came,
21:3411 crore
21:35loge
21:35go Nal
21:35se jal
21:36mila.
21:36This is
21:37intent
21:37and outcome.
21:39The two
21:39are there.
21:40You can
21:41see
21:41that Nara
21:41has given
21:42and
21:42who has
21:44made it
21:44and that
21:45is why
21:45Narajdeep
21:46three times
21:46election
21:47in the center,
21:48election
21:48after election
21:49in Gujarat,
21:50Madhya
21:50Pradesh,
21:50Maharashtra,
21:53which state
21:54has Congress
21:55repeated ever
21:56from 2011
21:56onwards?
21:57Because we
21:58deliver.
21:58Point number
21:59two on the
21:59states.
22:00Rajdeep,
22:01you are too
22:01senior a
22:02journalist
22:02and too
22:03well-read
22:03a journalist
22:04to not
22:04know that
22:05Chidambaram
22:05mooted the
22:06idea that
22:06state
22:07contribution
22:07should be
22:08there from
22:08two perspectives.
22:09One,
22:10because states
22:10work is also
22:11being done
22:11here and
22:12two,
22:12states should
22:13take the
22:13onus of
22:13better
22:14accountability.
22:15Was
22:15Chidambaram
22:15anti-federalism?
22:17In fact,
22:17we have given
22:18much more to
22:18the state.
22:19Let me give
22:19you one more
22:19akhada.
22:20During the
22:21UPA,
22:21non-BJP
22:23state got
22:2380,000 crores
22:24in 10 years.
22:25Today,
22:25it has got
22:262.8 lakh
22:27crores in
22:27funds.
22:28What is
22:28the state
22:28against the
22:29state?
22:29Let's go to
22:30the third
22:31point.
22:31My dear
22:31friend,
22:32Ajay Kumar,
22:32very respected
22:33police officer
22:34during his
22:34time.
22:35How can he
22:35say that
22:36the village
22:36panchayat
22:36won't decide?
22:37Have you
22:38read of
22:38VGPP,
22:39the village
22:39gram panchayat
22:40plan will
22:41be the one
22:42that will
22:42demand
22:42that we
22:43want to
22:43do this
22:44work?
22:44Yes,
22:45there are
22:45four themes
22:46that have
22:46been created
22:46so it
22:47aligns with
22:47a national
22:48infrastructure.
22:49We are
22:49not just
22:49digging a
22:50hole,
22:50filling the
22:51hole,
22:51digging a
22:51hole,
22:52filling the
22:52hole.
22:52We have
22:53a national
22:53plan that
22:54how we
22:54need to
22:54align it
22:55with the
22:55national
22:55infrastructure.
22:56Just 20
22:56seconds.
22:57So basically
22:58the center
22:58knows best.
23:00You are
23:01telling me
23:01today,
23:02you are
23:02telling me
23:03Mr.
23:03Poonawala,
23:04the center
23:04alone knows
23:05best.
23:06No state
23:06government
23:07knows how
23:07to build
23:08productive
23:09assets.
23:09Am I
23:09correct?
23:10Don't twist.
23:11That's what
23:11you said.
23:12Don't twist.
23:13Rajdeep,
23:14don't twist.
23:15No, I
23:15did not say
23:16this and
23:17your English
23:17comprehension
23:18is very
23:18good by
23:19grace of
23:19God.
23:20So don't
23:20twist.
23:20I'll tell
23:21you again.
23:22Center has
23:22said water
23:23security,
23:24rural infra,
23:25livelihoods and
23:26climate
23:27resilience.
23:27These are
23:27four themes.
23:29Village
23:29panchayat has
23:30to decide.
23:30In fact,
23:31let me tell
23:31you most
23:32important point
23:32which we
23:32have all
23:33missed.
23:33Narega was
23:34only about
23:35employment,
23:35alternate
23:35employment.
23:36This is
23:37employment
23:37plus
23:38Aajivika.
23:39Aajivika means
23:40livelihood or
23:41self-employment
23:42opportunity.
23:43So the
23:43broader
23:43spectrum is
23:44there to
23:45give the
23:45availability
23:46of money
23:46and by
23:46the way
23:47last point
23:4710 seconds
23:48just bear
23:48with me.
23:49It is
23:49125 days
23:50already plus
23:5160 days
23:51they will
23:52always get
23:52farm work.
23:53So it is
23:53185 days
23:54as opposed to
23:55Ajay Kumar's
23:56tenure when it
23:57was 100
23:57days.
23:58but it didn't
23:58have given it.
23:59But it didn't
23:59have given it.
24:01Okay,
24:02I want to get
24:02Ajay Kumar in
24:03for a final
24:04word.
24:04You see,
24:04Ajay Kumar,
24:05just as I
24:06asked Mr.
24:06Poonawala
24:07that the
24:07fear is
24:08there of
24:08the intent
24:09of the
24:09government
24:09to dictate
24:10terms to
24:11the state,
24:12are you
24:13also engaging
24:14in fear
24:14mongering?
24:16That if
24:16there is
24:16greater
24:17accountability
24:18and transparency,
24:20what's the
24:20harm?
24:21What's the
24:21harm if the
24:22center decides
24:23we have four
24:24clear areas
24:25where we will
24:26allow investments
24:26to take place
24:27and we will
24:28monitor it?
24:29so it's
24:33like the
24:33great leap
24:34forward from
24:35China where
24:36everybody was
24:37fudging the
24:37data.
24:38The Chinese
24:38said that
24:39from the
24:39top we
24:40have become
24:40the world's
24:41greatest nation
24:41in terms of
24:42steel production.
24:43People started
24:44melting their
24:45own steel
24:45pots.
24:46What are you
24:46trying to
24:47bring this?
24:48By the way,
24:49Shahzad made a
24:50mistake.
24:51The plan is
24:51Vixit Gram
24:53Panchayat plan
24:54will be sitting
24:54over the
24:55Prime Minister
24:56Gati Shakti
24:57layers and
24:58national
24:59template to
25:00design what
25:01a village
25:01needs.
25:02This was a
25:03scheme to
25:04provide employment
25:05to the rural
25:06poor.
25:07It is not
25:07fear-mongering.
25:09You have
25:10ensured there
25:10is no
25:11reservation for
25:11CST OPCs.
25:13You have
25:13ensured there
25:14is no
25:14availability of
25:15labor during
25:15the agriculture
25:16period so that
25:16the negotiations
25:17stop.
25:18Most important,
25:19you said that
25:19people of India
25:20and the state,
25:22we will not
25:22provide the money
25:23because we want
25:24this program to
25:25die.
25:26And believe
25:26me, Rajdeep,
25:28the 60-40
25:29if your
25:31intention was
25:31good, why
25:32don't you pay
25:32the same amount
25:33which you were
25:33doing earlier?
25:35Why don't you
25:35guarantee it?
25:36You may guarantee
25:37it.
25:37Why don't you
25:38give 90-10?
25:41Why is it you
25:42did 60-40?
25:43Because you want
25:43to squeeze the
25:44states.
25:45You want to
25:46torture the
25:46states.
25:47And you did
25:47that in Bengal,
25:48you will do it
25:48in other parts
25:49of India.
25:50It is a scheme
25:51which is
25:52insulted.
25:52I have heard
25:55both of you
25:57patiently.
25:58I have heard
25:58the politics
25:59played out of it
26:00and I appreciate
26:00that both of you
26:01have come with
26:02your points
26:03strongly on the
26:04debate.
26:04I want to
26:05widen it now.
26:06I appreciate
26:06Shahzad Ajoy
26:07joining me to
26:08look at the
26:09real economics
26:11of it.
26:12Because remember
26:12this has been a
26:13flagship scheme
26:14for the country.
26:15Hence we want
26:16to spend a little
26:16bit more time.
26:17What is the
26:39criticism of
26:40Magandrega?
26:41There were
26:42frequent delays
26:43beyond the
26:43mandated 15
26:44days in paying
26:45up.
26:45There was a
26:46bureaucracy.
26:46Many households
26:47claimed they
26:48received far
26:49fewer than
26:49the 100
26:50days of
26:50employment
26:51promise.
26:51There was
26:52corruption and
26:53leakages through
26:54fake job cards
26:55created, ghost
26:56workers, etc.
26:57There was
26:58delays in
26:58project completion,
27:00irregular
27:00inspections,
27:02substandard
27:03assets.
27:04Insufficient
27:04funding compared
27:05to demand led
27:07to a rationing
27:07of work and
27:08there was wide
27:09state level
27:10disparities.
27:12At this
27:12moment I am
27:13joined by
27:13Professor
27:14Jaw Drez.
27:15Jaw was one
27:16of those.
27:16Professor
27:16Drez was one
27:17of those who
27:17in the UPA
27:18years in a
27:19way shaped
27:20Magandrega.
27:21Also Shankar
27:22Ayar, political
27:23economist and
27:24author and
27:24columnist joins
27:25me.
27:26I want to come
27:26to you Jaw Drez.
27:28You may have
27:28heard much of
27:29what the
27:29politicians say.
27:30The BJP is
27:31very clear.
27:32We are not
27:33demolishing
27:36Magandrega but
27:37bringing a much
27:38more improved
27:39scheme for
27:40rural employment.
27:41125 days.
27:43It will be
27:43more fiscally
27:44responsible.
27:45We will have
27:46specific targeted
27:47areas where the
27:49investments will
27:49be brought in.
27:51Why are you and
27:51others saying
27:52that this is a
27:53disaster?
27:55Radeep, thank you
27:56for having me.
27:57I am afraid that I
27:57was not able to
27:58hear the previous
27:59speakers.
28:00There is something
28:01lacking in your
28:01system.
28:02So I may repeat
28:04some of the things
28:05they said.
28:06But this is not
28:07what you have
28:07described just
28:08now is not what
28:09is happening.
28:10Let's be very
28:11clear.
28:11What are your
28:11principal objections?
28:13I will come to
28:14that in a second.
28:14But let's first be
28:15clear about what
28:16is happening.
28:17Firstly, this new
28:18bill repeals the
28:19Employment Guarantee
28:20Act, Narega.
28:21It is not just
28:22renaming.
28:23It is certainly not
28:23revamping.
28:24It repeals it.
28:25I will just read the
28:26relevant line from
28:27section 37 of this
28:29bill.
28:29The Mahatma Gandhi
28:30National Rural
28:31Employment Guarantee
28:32Act, 2005, together
28:34with all rules,
28:36notifications, schemes,
28:38orders, and
28:39guidelines shall
28:41stand repealed.
28:42So not just the
28:43Act, everything, the
28:44schemes, orders,
28:45notifications, everything.
28:47Not right now, when
28:48the new scheme comes
28:49into force.
28:50Now, so repeal, junk,
28:52Narega, bring in a
28:54new scheme.
28:55This new scheme is
28:57not an employment
28:58guarantee.
28:59Why?
29:00Because the central
29:01government retains all
29:02the powers.
29:03It has, you know, it
29:04can decide when the
29:05scheme, where and
29:06when the scheme comes
29:07into force, the
29:08financial allocations,
29:09the wage rates, almost
29:10everything, and it has
29:11no significant
29:12obligations.
29:13The worst part of
29:15this discretion is what
29:16we call the switch of
29:18clause.
29:18I'll just read it very
29:19quickly.
29:20It says, the state
29:21government shall, in
29:23such rural areas in the
29:26state, as may be
29:27notified by the central
29:28government, in such
29:29rural areas of the
29:30state, as may be notified
29:32by the central
29:33government, provide to
29:34every household whose
29:36adult members volunteer to
29:38do unskilled manual work
29:39not less than 125 days of
29:41guaranteed deployment.
29:42So this switch of clause
29:43basically says that it is
29:45the discretion of the
29:46central government to
29:47decide where and when the
29:49scheme comes into effect.
29:51So there's no guarantee.
29:52This is like saying, I give
29:54you a work guarantee, but I
29:55don't guarantee that the
29:57guarantee will come into
29:58effect.
29:59Incidentally, in 2004, when
30:02the original Narega was in
30:05parliament, just before that
30:07actually, the central
30:08government had also tried to
30:09smuggle in a switch of
30:11clause, saying exactly the
30:13same thing.
30:14And obviously, from the
30:15central government's point of
30:16view, it makes sense.
30:17The central government wants
30:18to keep control.
30:19It's safer for them to be
30:20able to decide where and
30:22when the scheme comes into
30:23clause.
30:23Is it a switch of clause or
30:24simply the central government
30:26deciding where and how and
30:29when the money will be put?
30:30They're not saying we will
30:31not give you 125 days of
30:33employment guarantee.
30:34They're saying it is up to
30:34us.
30:35We decide.
30:36We decide where and when.
30:37The center decides.
30:38And let us be clear, this
30:39kind of discretionary powers
30:41have already been misused.
30:43You must know that the
30:44scheme has been
30:44in West Bengal and the
30:49government, the central
30:49government has never been
30:51able to explain clearly for
30:52what reason.
30:53Even in parliament, even in
30:55Ilok Sabah.
30:55The central government says
30:56there was misuse of
30:57Maganrega funds by Bengal.
31:00Hence, the funds were not
31:01being transferred.
31:02Is the argument which has
31:03been denied by the West
31:04Bengal government saying
31:05because it's an opposition
31:06government, they are being
31:07denied the funds?
31:09They never gave any
31:10evidence.
31:10And even in parliament,
31:11they were not able to give
31:12any details.
31:15And they never agreed to share
31:18under the RTI Act the
31:20correspondence that they had
31:21with the West Bengal
31:22government on this matter.
31:23So you're saying that under the
31:25scheme, just to understand,
31:26you're saying the way the
31:28scheme is framed, it gives
31:29huge discretionary powers to
31:31the centre to decide which
31:33project will go to which
31:34state, when will it be done.
31:36It's not gram panchayat driven,
31:38it's not bottom up as the BJP
31:40is claiming, where the gram
31:41panchayats will decide how the
31:43money is to be spent.
31:44You're saying it's another
31:45centrally sponsored scheme where
31:47the centre will have all the
31:48powers.
31:48Am I correct?
31:50Correct.
31:50And that's the difference
31:51between Magandrega and this
31:53scheme.
31:53Well, it's part of the
31:54difference.
31:55Yes.
31:55Another important discretionary
31:57power is the power to decide
31:59the state-wise allocations, the
32:01so-called state-wise normative
32:03allocations.
32:04So the central government will
32:05decide how much to give to
32:06each state.
32:07Within that allocation
32:09determined by the centre,
32:11there will be 60-40 sharing,
32:13and beyond that, it will be 100%
32:14sharing contribution from the
32:17states.
32:17So if the central government
32:19decides, for example, that
32:21Kerala is well-off enough to do
32:23this on its own, it doesn't
32:25need any allocation, then
32:26Kerala will have to pay 100%
32:28or any other state for that
32:30matter.
32:31Okay.
32:32Let me bring in Shankar, and I'll
32:33come to you for more, to look
32:35at why you are worried about
32:37what this will do to rural
32:38employment in particular.
32:39But Shankar, I hear, there were
32:41those who said Magandrega was a
32:42white elephant, that Magandrega
32:44led to corruption and leakages,
32:46it led to non-productive assets
32:48being built.
32:49Do you see this present,
32:51Ji Ram Ji, or Viksit Bharat Ji Ram
32:53Ji, it's a tongue twister,
32:55becoming, overcoming some of
32:57those criticisms, or do you
32:59believe, as John Drez is
33:01suggesting here, that this will
33:03actually create a central
33:08bureaucracy over how monies are
33:10distributed?
33:13Well, I don't know whether apples
33:14and oranges tend to compare,
33:16Rajdeep.
33:16This is a completely different
33:18beast that has been created.
33:21The NGNR-NGS was actually a
33:24justiciable act, which allowed
33:28people to claim jobs.
33:31Now, that aspect seems very vague and
33:36unclear in the wording of the new
33:39Ji Rab Ji bill here.
33:43All I see in the name twist change is
33:46that the burden of alleviating misery has
33:51been shifted from Mahatma Gandhi to Lord
33:54Ram.
33:54And hopefully, that will bring in a
33:57better objective and outcomes to
34:01this.
34:02But if you look at both the bills,
34:04Rajdeep, let me sort of address the
34:07optics and the reality.
34:10125 days target is all very good, but
34:13across the last 20 years, if you see
34:16less than 10% of the job claimants
34:20have got 100 days of employment to
34:24maximum employment that they have got
34:26is 43, 48, 52, depending on the year.
34:31The second aspect is that, you know,
34:34the issue of protecting farmers'
34:38interests by a switch-off mechanism
34:41for season.
34:42Now, I don't know which farmers are
34:44being protected here because are they
34:46those 80% who own less than one and
34:50a half hectares or the large farmers?
34:52And should the government of India really
34:54be deciding who gets labor from where?
34:59Settle that in one level.
35:01Okay.
35:02The third aspect is what will the state
35:05governments pay and what will be the
35:06central government?
35:07There could be an argument that state
35:09governments need to share a part of the
35:11burden.
35:11But that all could have been decided once the
35:16finance commission report, the next finance
35:19commission's report was in, and this could
35:22have been a larger, more wider debate.
35:25The fourth aspect is the centralization issue,
35:28which is an irony in itself because
35:30till recently, the BJP used to be about
35:35federalism.
35:35And so the history tells us, lastly, that all
35:40major reforms in India have come from the
35:43states.
35:45MGNREGS itself was born in the district of
35:49Sangli as a drought relief program, which
35:53got sort of converted into a food-for-work
35:56program and then got nationalized.
35:58So do the states know better or do the
36:02center know, does the center know better is
36:04always a constant debate in India.
36:08I welcome the changes, the modernization that
36:11has been introduced, but I am not sure whether
36:15these changes will ensure the rights.
36:19Finally, Narega was supposed to keep, give or
36:26sort of allow flow for wages in the rural areas
36:34when jobs are scarce.
36:37I am not sure whether that entitlement, that
36:40protection that was given earlier will exist with
36:45all the conditions of seasonality, jobs and
36:48everything.
36:50Okay, let me bring in Jodh Rez again because
36:52Jodh Rez, surely you will also accept that what
36:56is key is not just outlays, but outcomes.
36:59There have been critics of Maganrega, you saw
37:01some of the criticism that they haven't created
37:03enough productive assets.
37:04They've not been focused enough.
37:06Now in this new scheme, setting certain clear
37:09objectives will help in creating productive
37:12assets, will ensure greater accountability and
37:16thereby the money will be spent on concrete
37:18outcomes, not just outlays.
37:20How will you respond?
37:23Rajdeep, again, I could not hear the other
37:25speaker, so I hope I don't answer that
37:28cross-purposes.
37:29But first of all, let me say that there has
37:32been a lot of research on Narega and all the
37:35benefits that you mentioned earlier, you know,
37:37reduction of poverty, contribution to social
37:41equity, protection of the environment, creation of
37:44productive assets and so on.
37:46These benefits are quite well documented.
37:47I mean, there are literally hundreds of research
37:49papers on Narega, and particularly for the early
37:52phase, like the first five, six years, for which we
37:54have quite a lot of data, including independent
37:57household survey data from the National Sample
38:00Survey, the India Human Development Survey, and so
38:04on.
38:04For more recent years, there's not so much data.
38:06But we know for a fact that there was a significant
38:09phase when Narega was doing quite well and generating very
38:13substantial benefits on a very large scale.
38:15And that is why I said and wrote earlier today that if there is
38:19one thing and one scheme for which India deserves to be known as
38:24Vishwa Guru, it is employment guarantee, because India was the
38:26first country to introduce employment guarantee, not in 2005, but in
38:30the early 1970s in Maharashtra, and then in 2005 at the national
38:34level, and with very significant achievements.
38:38This is something that is inspiring the whole world.
38:41And that's why it's so sad to see that India is turning its back to
38:44this achievement.
38:45Why do you, you know, but I must push you.
38:46Why do you say it's turning its back?
38:48The government will say we are not doing away with the employment
38:51guarantee scheme.
38:52We are just monitoring it more effectively.
38:54No, no.
38:54As I explained, the guarantee itself is being undermined.
38:57Let me also quickly comment on this issue of cost sharing.
39:00You see, the reason why it's not just cost sharing, because beyond the
39:04point, as I explained, it's 100% state sharing at the discretion of the
39:09centre.
39:09Now, the reason why this can be so destructive is that the state
39:13governments, unlike the central government, have what is called a
39:17hard budget constraint.
39:18Beyond the point, they can't spend.
39:20The central government can always borrow or print money.
39:24So there's always some guarantee that funds can be made available from
39:27somewhere.
39:28At the state level, it's not like that.
39:30And that is why at the state level, and especially in the poorer states,
39:33like in Jharkhand, where I live, you see rampant delays in payments to
39:38lower-level functionaries, delays in pensions, sometimes for months, sometimes
39:41for a whole year.
39:42And this is what is going to happen with Nareghar.
39:44You see...
39:46I think that is a very strong point that you make.
39:49And I think the fear, of course, is that all these contentious issues are being
39:53pushed through parliament without debate.
39:55You are having a debate tonight as it's going on till midnight.
39:59But what about legislative oversight?
40:01What about scrutiny?
40:02What about getting experts like John Dreyas, like Shankar Iyer, like others to put their
40:07views forward and then improve the quality?
40:09Will bureaucrats in the centre knows best attitude prevail over the need for proper
40:16legislative oversight?
40:17Professor Dreyas, Shankar Iyer for joining me and explaining to us what you believe are
40:23your concerns, Professor Dreyas, and Shankar Iyer for giving us your perspective.
40:28Thank you so much.
40:29Parliament will debate this well past midnight.
40:32There is another issue that parliament needs to debate, which is the breaking news that's
40:36coming in.
40:37There is an airpocalypse that is hurting the nation at the moment.
40:42And guess what, smog has disrupted and led to the cancellation of an international cricket
40:48match in Lucknow.
40:49The India versus South Africa match has been called off due to smog.
40:54That's right.
40:55Smog in Lucknow has led to the cancellation of the 4th T20 International.
40:59India, remember, leads the five match series.
41:02This is the picture we saw, Hardik Pandya wearing a mask.
41:07The quality of air, the air quality index in Lucknow was close to 400 today.
41:13There was fog, but there was also clearly smog.
41:16Perhaps one of the first times that a match has been cancelled because of this, Nikhil Naaz,
41:21our sports consulting editor joins me, Samar Srivastav joins me from Lucknow, first you Nikhil.
41:26I don't recall when smog called off a match, but there's always a first time.
41:31But if you ask me and I tweeted this, this is a bloody disgrace.
41:34Well, that's right, Rajdeep, well, just a reminder to all our viewers, you know, if
41:40you thought that this particular match and the calling of this match is going to change
41:45things, well, you have another thing coming because I'll take our viewers back to 2017.
41:51It was right here in the heart of the national capital, the game that was played between
41:55India and Sri Lanka, a test match at that, and that was called off because of pollution.
42:01And I still remember those images from 2017, Sri Lankan players came wearing masks to the
42:07ground.
42:08A lot of them complained about their eyes itching.
42:11Many also complained of nausea and you thought things are going to change from there on because
42:15we face the embarrassment of a game getting called off because of pollution.
42:19I know what the headlines will say now.
42:21I know what the official statement from the BCCI will say that this match is being called
42:25off because of poor visibility.
42:27That, in fact, is only the half truth.
42:29Yes, there is poor visibility, but you have to see what the story behind that is.
42:34Why was there poor visibility?
42:36Because what you had was not just fog.
42:39You had something called smog, which you get in North India.
42:42That's a mixture of pollution as well as the fog that you get.
42:46I just had a quick look at the AQI that you had in Lucknow today and it was hovering around
42:51the 400 mark.
42:52We had pictures of a Hardik Pandya, an Indian player, wearing a mask and walking around the
42:58field.
42:59And so you could say that this game has been called because of poor visibility, but the
43:02fact of the matter is it is down to the prevailing conditions in North India and pollution is
43:07the number one factor.
43:09That's right.
43:10I was looking at pollution in Lucknow, it was 417 at about 830, then went to 390, but
43:15clearly in the very severe category as it is across much of North India.
43:19Samar Shrivastav, what are the officials telling you there in Lucknow?
43:23What is the official reason being given for the match being called off?
43:26It was not just fog, but as Nikhil is saying, it was smog.
43:30S-M-O-G.
43:31Well, exactly, Raj, as per the officials are concerned, what we are getting from the sources,
43:36from the stadium or from the government, it's called the fog.
43:39They are claiming that that's because, because we see a lot of fog around Lucknow, be it in
43:43the V-Hours, be it in the morning, be it in the afternoon.
43:46But if you talk about the current AQI, I've got the app open, which clearly shows that
43:51live AQI number, which is currently 359.
43:54So, it's the current AQI, it's 359 currently in Lucknow, which shows that that could also
44:00be the reason behind the cancellation as we see Hardik Pandya having the mask on his face,
44:06covering his nostrils especially, because that's the situation edwards in the North India.
44:11And recently now, Shashi Tharoor has also made one tweet regarding this particular issue, calling
44:16that the mask could have been transferred to some other location.
44:19But if you talk about Lucknow's situation, we saw two major accidents happening just because
44:23of this fog.
44:24One on Purwansir Expressway, another on the Agra Expressway.
44:28And with VC, what we saw in the Econa Stadium, the toss was firstly delayed and it went on
44:34delaying hours after hours.
44:36But at the end, at 9.30 inspection, the match was called up.
44:40Those who were there around the stadium, they were claiming from afternoon how the match could
44:45happen with such fog around because it's not that when the sun is setting, that fog thing
44:49is happening.
44:50We are reporting from morning when fog was there and even at this particular hour, the fog persists.
44:55To you, Rajdeep.
44:58Clearly, much to answer for, for the organizers, for the state government and indeed for the
45:05way in which pollution has been tackled.
45:08Nikhil Samarth, appreciate you joining us.
45:10Will pollution become a political issue?
45:12Tomorrow, the Lok Sabha will have a short duration debate on it.
45:15It doesn't need a short duration debate.
45:17It needs a long debate.
45:19For God's sake, if we can debate Vande Matram for 10 hours, we should be debating solutions
45:27to pollution for a full day.
45:29But guess what?
45:31Politics has taken over.
45:32Delhi's Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa has blamed AAP and Congress for the pollution
45:39and at the same time said, from tomorrow, private companies will be asked to ensure that 50%
45:46of their workforce works from home.
45:48Now, are these ad hoc measures that will actually have an impact or will politics take over yet
45:54again?
45:55Let's look at this report.
46:00Delhi is breathless.
46:03Delhi is blinded by thick smog.
46:06Delhi is so polluted that it is not worth living in.
46:13Delhi's anti-pollution prescription is 50% compulsory work from home, ban on all construction activities.
46:21Only BS-6 complaint vehicles are allowed in Delhi.
46:24No fuel without PUC certificate.
46:27Carpooling application for Delhi.
46:2927 mechanical sweeper machines in every ward.
46:33100 more EV buses.
46:37But the capital city has capital problems of power struggle, where politicians engage in war
46:43awards, rather than cleaning up the air in war footing.
46:46When Delhi's Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa apologized to the people, stating that
46:54the government was working hard to fix the issue, Congress leader and prominent Delhi resident
47:00Priyanka Gandhi Wadra taunted it as too little too late.
47:04Iwant Rajagoda
47:07And Iwant Rajagoda
47:09Of The people in Delhi, I want to say that in 9-10 months in any government,
47:12any government has no longer
47:15can clean you.
47:16But I want to tell you, Delhi people, I want to tell you.
47:19The government, which is ordinary and went down in the air,
47:22have been better in the air for each day and reduced their costs by the pressure.
47:27The very next day, Delhi Environment Minister targeted Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi
47:44Vajra as many opposition leaders were seen wearing masks at the parliament.
47:57The AQI of Delhi improved to very poor on Wednesday after two days of severe air quality.
48:09The capital city has been battling high AQI for more than a month this winter
48:14and Delhi government has been on the back foot defending its policies.
48:20Opposition parties have been demanding discussion in the parliament over pollution
48:24while the Delhi government has been busy blaming the previous Amadmi Party government for the mess.
48:31Bureau Report, India Today.
48:37And we'll have a big debate here too on news today tomorrow on that air pollution controversy.
48:42Let's turn to our Get Real India story which today comes from Bengaluru,
48:46the Silicon City as it's sometimes called but a city also I fear at times with a heart of stone
48:53because this story is about a 34-year-old Bengaluru mechanic who died after suffering a heart attack
48:59while travelling on a motorcycle with his wife to a hospital.
49:02He was turned away by the hospital, sidelined by passerbys.
49:06As his wife begged for help, traffic just moved on.
49:09Hearts remained unmoved.
49:11By the time compassion arrived, it was too late.
49:14What failed Venkat Ramanan was not just his heart,
49:17but a system and a society that deliberately chose to look away.
49:23Take a look at Get Real India.
49:24What you see on your screen is a man suffering a heart attack
49:47and a city that showed no heart.
49:5034-year-old Venkat Ramanan and his wife were headed to a hospital on a motorcycle when he collapsed.
50:12His wife kept pleading for help repeatedly.
50:28One after another, cars and bikes passed them.
50:32Not one of them had the time to stop.
50:35He was on the road for full five minutes.
50:38Each minute that felt endless.
50:40Finally, help came.
51:05A Samaritan tried CPR on him.
51:08He was then taken to the hospital where he was declared dead.
51:15The story is not complete.
51:17The real story is what happened earlier.
51:24Venkat Raman, who stays in Balaji Nagar,
51:27Bana Shankari, third stage, developed chest pain around 3 a.m.
51:31The couple went on a bike to a Udbhav hospital near Katri Gupe Janata Bazaar.
51:37As there were no doctors available there,
51:39the couple proceeded to another nearby private hospital, Relife.
51:43An ECG at the Relife hospital revealed he had suffered a mild heart attack.
51:49They were advised to go to the Jayadeva hospital,
51:51but were not provided an ambulance.
51:55They went on the motorbike to Jayadeva hospital,
51:58a short trip that they could not complete.
52:04Venkata Raman, who was a garage mechanic,
52:07leaves behind his wife Rupa,
52:08a five-year-old son and one-and-a-half-year-old daughter.
52:12With Sagai Raj, Bureau Report, India Today.
52:24Very sad story there.
52:26Let me leave you, though, with something as our image of the day.
52:29It was a night of glitz and glory at the 25th IT Awards
52:33unfolded at the Jio World Convention Center in Mumbai,
52:37where networks TV personalities from across India
52:39gathered to celebrate television's finest.
52:42Fresh off the ENBA glory,
52:44it was another memorable day for India Today Group,
52:46with top honours at the ITA,
52:48reaffirming its position as a newsleader,
52:51continuing a legacy of excellence
52:53that has become synonymous with the brand.
52:55India Today walking off with nine prestigious awards,
52:59including the Popular Channel of the Year Award
53:02for both India Today and Aachita Kalipuri accepting those awards.
53:07India Today's Gaurav Saman winning an award
53:09for its Operation Sindhu coverage.
53:11Aachita Nand Gopal for our coverage of the YNAD landslide.
53:15We leave you there.
53:17Thanks for watching.
53:18Stay well, stay safe.
53:19Good night, Shubratri.
53:21Jai Hind.
53:22Namaskar.
53:22I've undergone a Milk.
53:32I've been waiting for my
53:33every six day and ×”×™×” patients.
53:35Good morning.
53:38I have been waiting for a trip in the next Acastle.
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