By IANS,/strong>
New Delhi, Sep 28 (IANS) The government’s decision to extend the National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme to the entire country substantiates the Congress’ definition of inclusive democracy, Congress party spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said, admitting that “things move when there is a new energy”.
The government Friday morning announced that its flagship pro-poor programme to guarantee 100 days of work to each rural family in 330 selected districts now stands extended to all the 60- odd districts of the country.
“This decision substantiates the Congress’ definition of inclusive democracy. It underlines the three Es for which the party stands – Empowerment, Empathy and Efficacy,” Singhvi told reporters.
The decision comes just two after Rahul Gandhi, the newly appointed general secretary of the Congress party, met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with a delegation and sought the scheme’s extension to the entire country.
The delegation said the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) was a landmark legislation of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, an important promise in the Congress manifesto and a key component of the National Common Minimum Programme.
Asked if the decision was taken to prop up Rahul’s public image, Singhvi said what mattered eventually was that it was the Congress party that visualized the scheme.
However, he admitted, “Things move when there is a new energy”, and added that what was important was that the decision was for the benefit of the people.
Singhvi said: “Most of the districts in which the NREGA’s first phase was launched were in non-Congress ruled states. This shows that the Congress is committed to the development of common man and does not resort to politics when it comes to such issues. It is a scheme that provides livelihood security.”
Asked why the NREGA implementation report in the Congress-ruled states had not been satisfactory, he said the party was working towards plugging the shortcomings. “If you try to improve something, it does not mean that it is bad. It is a positive mindset at work,” he said.