Taking on Mulayam Singh Yadav over his demand to scrap UPA’s job scheme MNREGA, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh today said the SP leader’s son and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav appears not to share his views. “Did his son (Akhilesh) agree with that view. His son writes to me every second day asking for more money under MNREGA. I don’t think that Mulayam Singh’s view is shared by his son. He should ask his son,” Ramesh told reporters when asked about Yadav’s demand. In his speech on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address in Lok Sabha yesterday, Yadav had attacked the rural job scheme, claiming it to be the root of corruption in the country and demanded that it be scrapped. “MNREGA is the root of corruption in the country. The scheme is being misused. Scrap MNREGA. It has been a loot. It is of no use,” Yadav had said, adding officials are “siphoning off” money meant for providing rural job. Ramesh, however, said Uttar Pradesh is among the three states which have shown substantial increase in MNREGA performance. “Performance of MNREGA in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra is good. The three states which are yet to show any significant improvement are Bihar, Orissa and Jharkhand –the poorest states,” he said. “Unfortunately, the MNREGA expenditure is least in the poorest states,” he added. PTI
