- 6 weeks ago
On this Special Report, the focus is on the passage of a new rural employment bill in the Lok Sabha. An unidentified anchor discusses the legislation which replaces the existing rural guarantee act. Unidentified speakers from the government and opposition debate the merits, with one side highlighting the increase to 125 guaranteed days and the other criticizing the new funding split between the Centre and states. The programme explores the political fallout and the alleged violation of parliamentary decorum during the bill's passage.
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00:00The VBG Ramji Bill or the Vikasit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and RG Vika Mission Grameen
00:09cleared the Lok Sabha litmus test amidst a massive ruckus.
00:13Several opposition MPs, they entered into the well of the house, they raised slogans
00:17against the government, they tore copies of the bill and then flung it towards the chair
00:21and the treasury benches.
00:23The government says it's earmarked, 95,000 crore rupees for this initiative, but the
00:28opposition insists that this bill will snatch away the right to work in rural India.
00:34Our political bureau gets you our top story tonight.
00:39Pandemonium in the Lok Sabha.
00:45The house descended into chaos as the Vikasit Bharat G.Ram G. Bill was passed mid-uproar with
00:52opposition MPs tearing copies of the legislation and raising slogans against the Narendra Modi
00:58government.
00:59As tempers flared, the speaker warned the opposition, calling the disruption a violation of parliamentary
01:06decorum before putting the contentious bill to vote.
01:10The government defended the move, saying the bill that will replace the Mahatma Gandhi National
01:27Rural Employment Guarantee Act serves public interest.
01:31The opposition hit back, alleging the government rammed the legislation through the house without
01:54meaningful discussion.
01:55I have entered the office of the parliament.
01:57We will get to the report and take on.
01:58We will all of this bill as a change.
01:59We will come and watch the plan.
02:00But in this manner, this scheme will be developed.
02:01Because its president has so much money.
02:02We have not enough money.
02:03We have no money.
02:04We will have no money.
02:05But it is against Sharmicists, against men, against the rebels, and against the disabled workers.
02:08We will end this work.
02:14Earlier opposition parties had staged protests inside the house, warning that tensions would escalate if the bill was forced through.
02:44The bill which replaces the 20-year-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment
03:14Guarantee Act proposes a statutory guarantee of 125 days of wage employment in a financial year for every rural household whose adult members are willing to undertake unskilled manual work.
03:27It however reduces central funding from 100% for labour costs under Monerga to 60% for most states under G.Ram.G. bill.
03:36Despite chaos and confrontation, the VP.G.Ram.G. bill has cleared the Lok Sabha.
03:42The government calls it reform. The opposition calls it an attack on welfare.
03:50What is clear is that this legislation has ignited a political battle that is set to spill beyond Parliament.
03:59Vera Report, India Today.
04:00Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan says discussions in Lok Sabha took place till 1.30 at night.
04:1195 MPs deliberated on the bill.
04:13Now as this bill clears the Lok Sabha litmus test, is there merit in the government saying that the opposition is breaching parliamentary decorum?
04:20They've desecrated or worse to that effect, temple of democracy and the opposition saying that the government is not only opposed to the name of Mahatma Gandhi, but is also taking away rural jobs.
04:30Joining me on India First is Dr. Guru Prakash Paswan, National Spokesperson for the Bharatiya Janta Party.
04:35Dr. Shama Mohammed is the National Spokesperson of the Congress Party.
04:39Neerja Chaudhary is a senior journalist and analyst.
04:42Siddharth Zarabi is group editor, Business Today.
04:45Dr. Shama Mohammed, Shivraj Singh Chauhan says the earlier Manrega gave a guarantee of 100 days of employment.
04:52Under the new scheme, it's been increased to 125 days.
04:56The cost of over 1.5 lakh crore rupees.
04:59Centre would bear about 95,000 crore rupees.
05:02So, it's an improvement.
05:05He says the Congress and the opposition have torn the decorum of Parliament to shreds and democracy, in his words, was reduced to mob rule and thuggery, ma'am.
05:16So, when it comes from a party and a minister who lies from morning to night, who are called bol bachans because they just keep telling things which they don't happen, I cannot believe it.
05:30But, let's understand in 2014, what did Mr. Modi call Manrega?
05:37It will continue to live as the failure, monumental failure of the Congress government.
05:43So, from that day onwards, Narendra Modi wanted to get rid of Manrega.
05:48Now, let's understand the new bill.
05:50What is it called?
05:51It's called the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajivika Mission Grammine.
05:55So, it's called the Viksit Bharat Gramm Bill.
05:59I don't know how you pronounce it any other way because that's what it says.
06:04And this bill clearly says one very important thing.
06:07That is, it's Section 4-5, that a central government shall determine state-wise normative allocation for each financial year based on prescribed objective parameters.
06:19That means the central government will decide on how the funds will be spent.
06:26In the original bill, 100% of the wages were given by the central government.
06:32Now, 60% of the wages will be given by the central government and 40% by the states.
06:37So, therefore, the burden is a lot on the states now.
06:40But on top of that, the central government decides how the funds will be allocated.
06:44For example, 60% of Kerala can be 1,000 crores and 60% of UP can be 5,000 crores.
06:51Now, here, in the original bill, 100 days were guaranteed.
06:58Here, in 125 days, there is no guarantee.
07:01They said it can happen.
07:03It cannot happen.
07:04There is no guarantee.
07:05And, of course, when the state has to spend the money, there is a problem.
07:08In 2018, the other thing the Modi government says is that what happens because of Mandrega, a lot of farm people do not get agricultural workers.
07:21This is wrong because in 2018, Niti Ayoub meeting, where the CMs of BJP states were there, they said clearly that because of Mandrega, they get workers for agricultural labor.
07:34Now, you've raised multiple points.
07:37Let me take it step by step.
07:38One last point.
07:38Let me take it step by step.
07:40One last point.
07:41Let me take it step by step.
07:42One last point.
07:42So, that it's not a monologue.
07:43Dr. Guru Prakash Paswan, both Priyanka Gandhi Wadra and Mallika Arjun Kharge say the center has conveniently shifted the burden of the scheme on states.
07:55This is anti-poor according to Priyanka Gandhi Wadra.
07:58States will not have funds.
07:59So, the scheme will either remain on paper or be consigned to the back burner.
08:10Gauravji, it's very important to understand a couple of things.
08:12First, I was listening to the Congress Party.
08:14I have listened to the Congress Party leadership.
08:16Mahatma Gandhi belonged to the entire country.
08:20There is not a sole ownership over the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi of the Congress Party or the Gandhi family only.
08:25We have to understand, and if their commitment to Mahatma Gandhi's ideas is so much, then in his last will and testament, right before his death, he said that the Congress Party should discontinue as a political organization and they should take an avatar of a non-political social organization committed for social work.
08:42Did they follow that advice of Mahatma Gandhi?
08:43Absolutely not.
08:45Point number one.
08:45Point number two, you have to understand, why is the Congress Party worried about federalism so much?
08:50The Congress Party has a history of dismissing democratically state government.
08:55Point number three, after the 14th and the 15th Finance Commission, the state government revenue has also seen substantial increase.
09:01We have to understand, the Congress Party is in Telangana, Karnataka, but in the maximum number of states, it's the Bharati Jinta Party.
09:08The Bharati Jinta Party state government would also share the responsibility.
09:12What the Congress Party calls a burden, we call it a responsibility.
09:15It's a shared responsibility.
09:17It's not a binary of zero and one of central government in the state government.
09:20It's the collective duty and the responsibility of the governments across the country and the central government as well.
09:25As far as the budget allocation is concerned, let me be very clear.
09:28Let us make this clear at the very outset.
09:30The Congress allocation of data was meager 2 lakh crore, but the NDA government has ensured more than 8.5 lakh crore.
09:37Look at the geotagging of the properties.
09:40Look at the asset creation.
09:41Look at the number of employment days that has been generated.
09:44It has been a substantial increase under NDA Prime Minister Modi.
09:48When PM said that, Manrega's scheme was only focusing on non-productive works.
09:53Mahatma Gandhi said, and we follow, that the villagers should have their own economy.
09:58Gramine Earth Vavastah, Gram Swarajje, Aat Nirbharta.
10:02What we intend to do, that the intent and the vision of Mahatma Gandhi would be followed through this new amendment.
10:09Instead of 100 days, 125 days of employment guarantee.
10:13But where is that guarantee of 125 days?
10:15That is very important and critical for this scheme.
10:16Where is that guarantee?
10:17There is no guarantee.
10:19Okay.
10:20Of 125 days.
10:21But I want to quickly bring in Siddharth Zarabi on merits and Neerja Chaudhary.
10:26On merits because Shivrat Singh Chohar, Neerja Chaudhary says discussions went on till 1.30 at night.
10:3195 MPs spoke.
10:33Now, is the conduct of the Congress, as the minister says, a blotten democracy, tearing parliamentary papers to shreds, mob rule being reduced to, you know, to Thagri, parliament being reduced to mob rule and Thagri?
10:46I think all that was avoidable.
10:50But, you know, Manrega was a very central part of the rights-based approach that the UPA government followed in its first term.
10:59You remember that.
11:01And the day NAC, National Advisory Council, headed by Sonia Gandhi, met in July of 2004, I remember, the first day at the first meeting, Manrega was the one that was mooted, right, to information and Manrega.
11:16Both were part of the Congress's manifest show.
11:19And that very afternoon, I remember, at 4 o'clock, the entire NAC team went to call on the prime minister.
11:25Again, he said, kaisa raa discussion?
11:28And they talked about Manrega.
11:29And at that time, also, the prime minister said, how much will it cost?
11:34And somebody gave a figure.
11:35So he said, oh, that much money.
11:37But anyway, they went ahead with it.
11:39And this rights-based approach of the Congress and the UPA won the Congress dividends in 2009, when they came back to power with an increased majority.
11:50Now, Manrega is very central to, very close to the Congress's heart, if one can put it that way.
11:58So the strong reaction from the Congress was to be expected.
12:02Now, the bill that's coming is very interesting.
12:05You know, instead of Mahatma Gandhi, it is G. Ramji.
12:11And I think that probably is not an accident.
12:13It's, of course, we know, Viksit Bharat, guarantee for Rozgar and Ajivika mission.
12:21Grameen.
12:22Grameen.
12:22But it means, you know, if you say all this, I will never be able to remember.
12:26Ordinary people will not remember.
12:27The moment you say, G. Ramji, you know, it's like a greeting, Ram Ramji, as we say to people.
12:35So it is going to stick in people's heads.
12:37Now, that is where this government and this prime minister are adept at political marketing.
12:44And, of course, it is a different bill.
12:47I mean, it's different in many ways.
12:49There is the funding that's been different.
12:51It's become, of course, all through Congress regime, the economic development was stopped down.
12:57But there has been a demand of late that it become a bottom-up approach.
13:02And in Banrega, of course, you know, the states were consulted about, you know,
13:06what was the demand coming from the district that was the earlier model.
13:09Now the center will decide.
13:11Apart from 60-40 ratio, the center and states will have to share, which may affect the poorer states.
13:15But you recall even in 2012, and I'll come to that question in just a moment, Jai,
13:21Ram Ramesh, then as Minister Neerja Chaudhary, had said words to the effect in that magazine interview
13:28to Yuvadesha, whether it had become a ditch-digging exercise, or words to that effect.
13:33And I'll come to that in just a moment.
13:35Is that better, or should it be performance-linked or productive scheme?
13:41We'll debate that in just a moment.
13:42But Siddharth Zarabi, on merits, does the new bill that passed the Lok Sabha litmus test snatch away rural jobs,
13:49as Malik Arjun Kharge claims?
13:50Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra says the burden shifts to states.
13:53There'll be no funds, so employment will go down.
13:57You know, let's break it up.
13:59On the first bit, which is the most important bit,
14:02does it dilute the statutory right for an unemployed rural person to demand work?
14:12I think the final wording of the bill aside, it's clear that that is not diluted per se in the manner in which it is sought to be portrayed.
14:22In fact, it rises by 25 days.
14:25Effectively, if enough mandates of work are made available, and there are concerns that, in the past, not all 100 days have been available,
14:36a rural worker can actually stand to earn 25% more.
14:42In fact, Siddharth, if I may, I'll come back to you, but look at these graphics that are playing out.
14:46Even in the past, it was 54 days, 75 days, 72 days, 61 days, 59 days.
14:51Depending, so even 100 days, though guaranteed, were not actually happening, Siddharth.
14:55Can you explain that?
14:57Absolutely, because there was not enough work, or there were other issues.
15:02Now, let's take another element that is attached to it.
15:05Some people criticize that, which is this 60-day standstill of sorts,
15:11which in policy design is aimed to ensure that farming season does not see a shortage of farm labor.
15:19Shairat Pabar wanted that in 2011, if I remember correctly.
15:22In fact, there were complaints that because of this, there were not enough hands that were available for agriculture labor,
15:29and we know that there has been transmigration within states on that account.
15:33So, what it really does, and the funding bit got up very quickly on that.
15:39If you just add up what has been spent from 2014 till now,
15:44and the peak funding year for this scheme was in the COVID year of 2020-21,
15:50it's almost 8,80,000 crore have been spent.
15:54What does this 60-40 formula do?
15:57It's not for all states, it's for the better off, financially better off states.
16:02It does transfer some of the burden to the states.
16:05But remember, because of the four new or rigid baskets of work, more productive work can result.
16:14So, I think opposition to the nomenclature change and all of the ideological biases that have crept into this debate,
16:22just because it is Jairamji, keep that aside.
16:25And that's for the politicians to debate.
16:27Does this scheme of almost two decades need some revamp?
16:31Does it need reform? Does it need tweaking for an India of 2026 and beyond,
16:38where you have labour shortages, where other welfare schemes have increased?
16:43Free food did not exist in 2004.
16:46So, there is a lot more money that is being spent on the social welfare account.
16:51I completely disagree with this statement,
16:54that the earning of rural people is being reduced.
16:58In fact, it has been given, enhanced on other schemes.
17:02Did this scheme need reform?
17:04Absolutely, it did.
17:06Even the CAG has called for reform.
17:08So, why have a problem?
17:09Do not conflate opposition to Ramji with a certain reform of a scheme in its detail.
17:16That's a very big point.
17:18Is this opposition to the name of Ramji coming, Dr. Shama Mohamad?
17:23If I may, Dr. Shama Mohamad, Jairam Ramesh, then as Rural Development Minister,
17:29if I remember correctly, June 2012, and this was an interview to Congress magazine,
17:34Yuvadesh, he said, Narega should not remain a ditch-digging scheme of words to that effect.
17:40How many people will be raised?
17:41How many people will be raised?
17:43How many people will be raised?
17:44How many people will be raised?
17:45Now, are some of those structural issues being addressed?
17:50And if so, why fling papers?
17:52Unless it is opposition to the name of Ramji coming?
17:56So, first of all, it's not Ramji, it's Gramji.
18:00So, let's not change the name, you know?
18:01How can they change something?
18:02It is Gramji.
18:04No, it is Gram.
18:05It is, I'll tell you exactly what it is.
18:08It is Viksit Bharat.
18:12Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajivika Mission Bill.
18:16So, it's Gramji Bill.
18:18So, please do not change things and add things which is not there.
18:22Then they should have put up something, you know, Ramke Naamme Rozgar.
18:25That would have been, to Lord Ram, you know, that would be better.
18:29But don't change names and say it's Jiramji.
18:31It's Gramji.
18:32That's how the pronunciation is.
18:35Now, there is this business guy who is in your panel.
18:38He went on saying…
18:39He's our group business editor.
18:40Yeah.
18:41Whoever it is.
18:42The group, yeah, whatever.
18:43It's not whoever, just respectfully.
18:45It's Siddharth who was there.
18:47Yeah, okay, whatever.
18:49He was going on praising the scheme of Mr. Modi because I think he loves him.
18:53I just want to ask him one thing.
18:56Before 2014, 100 days' work were there.
19:00We know it.
19:00We have it.
19:01We have the data.
19:02One.
19:03Number two, what is the unemployment rate in the country now?
19:07Before…
19:08From 2004 to 2014, the unemployment rate was hardly anything compared here.
19:13It is now 8 to 10 percent.
19:14Now, when there is so much of unemployment, you don't even want to give employment to the poorest of the poor?
19:20I mean, how anti-poor is this government and is your group business editor is what I was thinking at that point of time.
19:28You know, we know what is the situation in India right now.
19:32The Congress government or the UPA government always stood with everybody.
19:36That's the point.
19:37We got in the Food Security Act.
19:39We got in Manrega.
19:40We got in Right to Education.
19:42Yes, there should be capitalism.
19:43But at the same time, we should have a small part of us which is socialist because there are a lot of poor people in this country.
19:49And about that agriculture thing, that the labour was not available, is wrong.
19:54I have also quoted a Neeti Aayog meeting in 2018, in which clearly the chief ministers of the BJP rule states have said that the Manrega helped get agricultural labour.
20:05I want to tell one point of what Guru Prakash said.
20:08He said that, you know, states will…
20:10Our BJP states are also there.
20:12Yes, that's what I said.
20:13The amount which is sent from the central government depends on what the central government wants.
20:18It is 60%.
20:19That's what I said.
20:20The 60% for Kerala can be 1,000.
20:22Whereas for UP, they will get 5,000.
20:24That is what you have to understand, Guru Prakash.
20:27And one very important point, why I know this government wants to get rid of it.
20:30We know the case what happened in West Bengal.
20:32The government went to the high court saying that the money has not been sent by the central government.
20:37High court said the central government had to send it.
20:40You know, give it to the West Bengal government.
20:42Then the central government went to the Supreme Court.
20:44The Supreme Court agreed with the high court.
20:46So that itself shows that this government wanted to scrap the scheme from the beginning.
20:51And you talked about gaddas.
20:53Who is the one who said,
20:54That is Mr. Modi.
20:57He is the first one who said,
20:59And he said,
21:01It's the monumental failure of the Congress government.
21:03From 2014 onwards,
21:06He wanted to scrap it.
21:07But he should remember that this is the scheme which saved the poor during the COVID.
21:12And he knows that.
21:13Fair enough, ma'am.
21:13You've made your point since you've made two specific references
21:16to respected guests of mine on this broadcast.
21:20Siddharth Zarabi, would you want to go first?
21:22Then I bring in Guru Prakash Paswan.
21:23And Neerja Chaudhary.
21:24But Siddharth Zarabi.
21:26You know, it's unfortunate that people respond personally.
21:31And I think it only behoves the person who said that.
21:34I did not respond personally.
21:36I said, I did not respond.
21:38I didn't call you anything.
21:39I just responded to what you said.
21:40Ma'am, when you were speaking, no one interrupted you.
21:42No, he said I responded personally.
21:44I will not let that happen here.
21:46I said what is right.
21:47The facts of the matter is that
21:50If you look at absolute spending.
21:52Unemployment.
21:53It just keeps out of your mind.
21:54Ma'am, you've made that point.
21:56Only Mr. Zarabi.
21:57Ma'am, let Mr. Zarabi complete his point.
22:00Gaurav ji, I can't hear anything.
22:01Can you please organize?
22:02Yes.
22:02Gaurav, I think if a comparison of absolute numbers is to be done,
22:08we can also bring out data of what was spent from 2004 to 2014.
22:14And many of these amounts were pittances in terms of the percentage of the total spending of the union budget.
22:22But because I will be accused of being partisan, let me just focus on the need for reform of this scheme.
22:31Sir, facts are facts.
22:32Facts are not partisan.
22:33We put out every fact in public domain and let Janta decide.
22:36Okay, then let me just say this.
22:38In the last year of the Congress government, 33,000 crore rupees were spent on this scheme.
22:44In just the most recent year, 30,000 rupees additional have been given over the budgetary allocation.
22:52So, you know, we can do this number game for long.
22:55The point is that no scheme, whether a state or a center scheme, can remain frozen in time
23:02because just someone thought of taking an idea from Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government
23:08and they implemented it and that was good.
23:12And then saying that it becomes something for us to live for 100 years.
23:16Absolutely not.
23:17No amount of badgering someone on national television will take away from this point.
23:22This scheme needs substantial reform and in the four areas that it is being focused on,
23:29disaster resilience, livelihood security, water security,
23:33which sane person can argue against the need for better targeted spending.
23:38It's the same that was done with cooking gas subsidies.
23:42It was the same that was done with cooking gas subsidies or with petrol and diesel subsidies
23:47or for the matter that for the last three years, despite volatility in crude oil prices,
23:53changes have not been passed on to customers, to users in India.
23:57So, let's speak facts here.
23:59So, that is, this government did not pass it on.
24:02We deregulated, one second, we deregulated diesel and petrol.
24:05Why did the government not pass on when the petrol and diesel oil prices went down?
24:10That is not our fault.
24:10Why were there so many, why were there unfunded liabilities on the oil account, Dr. Shamaa Muhammad?
24:15And I will not get your name wrong.
24:18I have decency to get your name wrong.
24:20I will not call you whatever and do no water lottery about this.
24:24Those liabilities were finished in 2018.
24:26Madam spokesperson, let's stick to facts.
24:30That's what, you are not fucking facts.
24:32Madam spokesperson, let's stick to facts.
24:36Horov, it's your show.
24:37I'm going to keep quiet on this one.
24:39I want to bring in Dr. Guru Prakash Paswan.
24:41Do not come out as a spokesperson for the Bhatia Jantapati.
24:44No, no, ma'am, ma'am, that's completely uncalled for.
24:46That's completely uncalled for.
24:47A respected guest of mine stating facts.
24:50Stating facts, ma'am.
24:51But I want to bring in Guru Prakash Paswan and you can argue with him.
24:55You can argue with him, ma'am.
24:57Guru Prakash Paswan, Congress MP Imran Masood, Dr. Shamaa Muhammad, permit me.
25:02Dr. Shamaa Muhammad, Dr. Shamaa Muhammad, permit me.
25:09Guru Prakash Paswan, Dr. Paswan only.
25:13Congress MP Imran Masood says 1,100 crore payment is still pending to Uttar Pradesh.
25:19500 crore plus to Rajasthan, 1,000 crore plus to Bihar.
25:23But opposition states like Bengal are owed 2,300 crore plus.
25:27If centre does not clear the money, in future puts the burden on states.
25:31This scheme is doomed to fail.
25:34And that's the way it's being organized according to the Congress.
25:37No, Gaurav ji, I was patiently listening to all the observations that were raised, but
25:45we have to understand it is really pricey from the Congress party, really rich from the Congress
25:49party leaders saying that our government is anti-poor.
25:52For Congress party, whose leader, Mr. Rahul Gandhi, has said on multiple occasions that
25:56poverty is a state of mind.
25:58It's in your pant.
25:59It's in your shirt.
26:00And pointless and foolish things like that.
26:02The data, she was quoting the Niti Aayog data.
26:05The Niti Aayog data has fundamentally said, categorically said, that more than 28 crore
26:10people have been lifted from the multi-dimensional poverty index.
26:12Point number one.
26:13Point number two, look at the Pradhan Mantri, Janda, Niojana data.
26:17There used to be financial untouchability in this country.
26:19More than 55 crore people have come under the organized financial sector.
26:24And I really don't understand.
26:26And I'm glad Neelitaji brought that point that this was passed by the NAC.
26:31At least we can say with a lot of confidence that this VB, Guarantee, Rozgar, Ajivika mission
26:38that has been democratically passed.
26:40But the Mandrega scheme was passed by NAC.
26:42Was NAC a democratically elected body?
26:45Absolutely not.
26:46NAC was a body which was unaccountable.
26:48NAC was a body with no responsibility, no body to answer to.
26:53And yet sir, my question right now was very specific to you, unpaid dues to the states.
27:00You have to understand.
27:01Unpaid dues to states and especially opposition states, sir.
27:05Bengal owed 2,000 crore plus.
27:09He doesn't want to answer that, Gaurav.
27:11He has no answers.
27:11That's why.
27:12Okay, Neerja Chaudhary, the Congress that hailed Mandrega as a revolutionary act
27:17during UPA tenure also.
27:19During UPA tenure and we will put out those graphics in public domain.
27:23It averaged about 50 to 55 days of employment annually.
27:26So, while there may have been a guarantee of 100 days, we will put out those graphics for you
27:30that even in UPA era, it was 50 to 55 days and not 100 days employment.
27:36You recall Jairam Ramesh saying,
27:38it's, how many trees will be, how many trees will be, how many trees will be.
27:43Now, does the new law, where it specifically goes into where employment will take place,
27:50does it not attempt to address those issues, madam?
27:53I want to make three quick points in response, sir, Gaurav.
27:56One, that the suggestion was made by NAC, N-A-C, but it was the UPA that passed it.
28:03You know, it was passed in 2005, came into effect in 2006.
28:08Point number two, I'm all for any law, you take stock of it after that number of years.
28:14It's a very good thing to do.
28:16Is it doing well?
28:17Does it need reform?
28:18And I must also say in 2008, if I remember right, Rahul Gandhi led a team of Congress MPs
28:26to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to make a case for a better implementation of Manrega.
28:33Manrega at that time.
28:34Manrega, it became in 2009.
28:37And they were aware of the fault lines.
28:39So it's not that it was working perfectly, and it's possible what your figures show,
28:43that it's 50 days, 60 days, 70 days, whatever be the reality.
28:47Therefore, to look at every aspect of it, I have no problem with that.
28:53My worry, I tell you, is what?
28:55If the center is in charge of the allocations completely,
29:02then will the central government be even-handed with the state governments run by the opposition parties?
29:10Or will they use it with elections in mind?
29:14That is the real worry.
29:17Okay, Dr. Shamaa Mohamad, that's the point that you were also raising.
29:20So Guru Prakash Paswan, Dr. Paswan, quickly respond.
29:23That's a very pertinent point that's been raised by Dr. Shamaa Mohamad and by Neerjad Chaudhary.
29:27And also the states haven't got money.
29:29He has not answered you.
29:30He's not answering that particular question.
29:32Why states have money has been with them?
29:35Quickly, Dr. Paswan.
29:36What's up?
29:37Give me a question.
29:38Give me a question.
29:40No, no.
29:41Listen.
29:41What can I say?
29:42Give me a question.
29:42Give me a question.
29:42Give me a question.
29:43No, no.
29:44I'm not sitting here for your answer.
29:45I'm sorry.
29:46I'm not sitting here for your answer.
29:47I'm not sitting here.
29:47I'm not sitting here.
29:47I'm not sitting here.
29:48I'm not sitting here.
29:49You're talking about other people.
29:51Learn some manner and then learn some grace and comfort.
29:54Have the 14th.
29:54Did you read the 14th Finance Commission?
29:56We still remember the days of planning commission.
29:58Chief Minister used to come to Delhi and beg for money.
30:00You're not giving me a question, Gaurav.
30:01Chief Minister used to come in Delhi and beg for money from your government, madam.
30:05You don't have an answer.
30:06Sir, the last one minute I have on this part of the show.
30:09Chief Minister used to come to Delhi and beg for money.
30:11So you cannot have that local standard to speak on that.
30:14I'm sorry.
30:14Look at the recommendation of the 14th Finance Commission.
30:17The 15th Finance Commission.
30:1842% of the revenues to the state government directly.
30:21Gaurav, he does not have an answer.
30:23Why the central government has stopped the money to stay?
30:26It cannot be run from 10 janpath.
30:27I'm sorry.
30:28Enough of your...
30:30No, no, no.
30:32That is not going to work.
30:33That is not going to work.
30:35You should learn some grace and manners first.
30:37You should be talking about the 14th Finance Commission.
30:39Sir, but my specific question...
30:41Sir, my specific question, unpaid dues to states
30:47and whether the center can use these funds as a weapon
30:51against opposition rule states.
30:5314th Finance Commission have increased the revenue of states
30:55unlike the Planning Commission of India
30:57where the Chief Minister used to come to Delhi
30:59and beg for money.
31:00This government, highly unaccountable government,
31:03the body NAC, which was not answerable to anyone.
31:06Who was NAC to decide the allocation of funds?
31:08You wanted to come in the last 30 seconds.
31:10Last 30 seconds.
31:10You absolutely have no answer.
31:11Only Siddharth Zarabi.
31:12Just one line...
31:1415th Finance Commission, the share of state revenue...
31:15No, just one line.
31:17As per budget data, and I've been looking it up,
31:2055% of gross tax revenue is given to states.
31:26So, you know, I just want to say it's an absolute lie
31:29for all states, not Congress or opposition,
31:32all BJP Congress, every state,
31:34to say that they don't have enough resources.
31:3655 rupees out of every 100 rupees
31:40of gross tax revenue of the center
31:42goes to the states.
31:44Once the next Finance Commission document
31:46comes out in the public,
31:48the facts will speak for themselves.
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