New Delhi: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra
Modi on Saturday demanded setting up of a Joint Parliamentary
Committee to probe allegations of corruption in implementation
of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme.
"I raised the issue before the Prime Minister to set up a
JPC to probe corruption in MGNREGA across the states. This
should be given a serious thought," he told reporters after
attending a meeting of the National Development Council here.
Modi said as per a Planning Commission document, the
UPA`s flagship scheme has become a "den of corruption".
"New techniques of corruption are being used," he said
adding that the Prime Minister heads the Planning Commission
and he should take this suggestion seriously.
Since the name of Mahatma Gandhi was associated with the
scheme now, the issue of corruption becomes more relevant, he
said. The Gujarat Chief Minister also suggested setting up of
an expert committee to work out modalities of the "next
generation MGNREGA".
He said people who work on MGNREGA schemes should be
given more rights for their empowerment.
"If somebody digs a pond or well, he should be given the
right to sell the fish and should be able to collect charges
if its water is used by others," he added.
To a question on the Prime Minister`s assurance to bring
down prices, he said, "such statements full of hope are being
given for the past two years but no success has been achieved.
The track record (of the UPA government) has put a question
mark on the statement."
PTI
