Thursday, August 18 2005 18:54 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Congress today (August 18, 2005) sought to take credit for an ambitious Bill guaranteeing employment to rural masses, with party chief Sonia Gandhi asserting that the 'historic' measure would fulfil one of the biggest promises the party made in its election manifesto last year.

Declaring the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government's resolve to improve the lives of rural people, Gandhi, who spoke for the first time on a Bill in the Lok Sabha, said, "Through the National Rural Employment Guarantee Bill, 2004, we are starting to give them their right so that they have a better future."

The Congress chief, who initially spoke in Hindi, faced an opposition uproar briefly when she said that the preceding National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government had failed to pay heed to her party's advice to part with additional stocks of food grains through the food-for-work programme in drought-hit states three years ago.

"Many states, especially where there were Congress Governments, were reeling under drought. We had requested NDA Government to start food-for-work programme to help starving people. But NDA failed to pay heed to the advice," she said, sparking strong protests from opposition benches.

Just as the House seemed to be heading for an uproar with the treasury countering the opposition tirade, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee's intervention and Gandhi's own request for calm paid dividends.

"Aap baad mein jawab do naa. Koi problem nahin hai (kindly give your comments later. We have no problems," the UPA Chairperson said.

The Bill promises wage employment to every rural house, in which adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work, Singh said moving a separate list of amendments.

Describing the proposed legislation, Singh said it was a historic bill that aims at banishing poverty through assured employment.

He said prosperity in the country can be ensured only by ameliorating poor economic conditions in the rural areas.

To begin with, as many as 200 districts, including 150 districts under Food for Work Programme, would be covered under the bill, the minister said, adding that it would be extended to all the 600 districts in the country within five years.

The Minister said the bill also provides for unemployment allowances if the job, under the scheme, is not provided in the rural households.

Peppering his speech with folk verses emphasising the significance of making villages prosperous, he said State Governments, Panchayati Raj Institutions as well as NGOs would be involved in implementing the law.

The Minister's speech drew loud cheers from treasury benches with UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad and other senior members frequently thumping their desks.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was also present in the House.

Pointing out that 72 crore people lived in rural areas, the Minister said the minimum daily wage had been pegged at Rs 60.

As per the amendment approved by the cabinet, the word 'poor household' has been replaced by 'household' for guaranteeing jobs in every household for one person.

The original bill had laid down that it would be applicable only to families living below the Poverty Line.

The Minister said the UPA Government had raised the allocation for Rural Development Ministry to Rs 24,000 crore in the budget for 2005-06.

Initiating a discussion on the bill, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kalyan Singh said the decision to provide Rs 60 per day for a guaranteed 100 days rural employment translated to only Rs 500 a month which was not sufficient to run a family.

Singh, who headed the Parliamentary Standing Committee, which examined the bill, said the legislation could lead to frictions within a family over selection of the member to be provided the job.

Kalyan Singh apprehended that in the due process, women and physically challenged could be left out.

He also said that there were no proper records regarding rural households which could hamper the smooth implementation of the Bill.

In a dig at the Congress party, he said after over 50 years the ruling party has realised the need for such a law.

Singh said the decision to make the State Governments finance 10 per cent of the scheme could lead to financial problems due to poor finances available with some states.

The Member said the monitoring of the implementation of the scheme and selection of households should be handed over to the gram sabhas for greater transparency.