New Delhi: Amid reported move of the Narendra Modi government to amend MNREGA, MPs of the Trinamool Congress on Friday adopted a unique method to hold protest outside Parliament here.
TMC MPs were seen holding earthern pots while protesting against the government's planned move to amend the popular employment scheme.
The party demanded that instead of amending the Act, the Centre should instead raise the wages paid under the popular scheme that guarantees a minimum 100 days of employment in a year to those living below poverty line in rural areas.
It is not the first time that the party's MPs have held unusual protests in Parliament. Earlier this week, TMC parliamentarians brought black umbrellas inside Lok Sabha on Wednesday during the debate on black money. They followed it up a day later by wearing black shawls inside Parliament.
Earlier, a united opposition had targeted the NDA government in Rajya Sabha saying it appeared to be trying to wind up the ambitious rural job guarantee scheme launched by the UPA.
D Raja of the CPI had said, "MNREGA enacted by UPA government was part of the common minimum programme, which was supported by Left parties. Now, what the BJP-led government is doing is that they are weakening and diluting the act. They are giving indication to say 'good-bye' to the scheme. This is a serious situation."
The government has reduced the budget allocation under MNREGA for this fiscal, restricted the coverage area to few districts and changed the labour and material ration under the scheme -- thereby diluting the objective of the law, Raja added.
