New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday said that the UPA government launched Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act(MGNREGA) scheme which was infested with ghost accounts and turned out to be a source of corruption at that time.
Responding to the general discussion on the General Budget 2022-23 in the Rajya Sabha, the Minister said that the scheme was brought by an Act because of them (UPA Government), but I would like to say that MGNREGA’s misuse was also because of them.
“MGNREGA was infested with ghost accounts, its misuse was also to their credit,” Sitharaman said pointing towards the Opposition bench. At this, the Opposition members created an uproar.
It was a demand driven programme, meant to provide employment during lean season of agriculture. Slamming the Opposition, she further said: “We are now working towards creating it and using it properly with transparency,” she added.
Responding to comments regarding funds to the agriculture sector and subsidies to Fertiliser, she said that the government has ensured that burden does not shift to the farmer.
On doubling of farmers’ income, she said that this Budget has an increase of 6.6 times in expenditure of the Department of Agriculture from 2013-14 and Rs 68,000 crore has been provided for ‘Kisan Samman Nidhi’ through Direct Benefit Transfer.
Speaking on the health sector allocation, Sitharaman stated that Rs 86,000 crore has been allocated in the Budget which was Rs 80,000 crore during the current fiscal (2021-22) and was Rs 64,000 crore in 2019-20.
The Minister also listed out the various monetary schemes and allocations being given to the Mico, Medium and Small Enterprises (MSME) sector in light of the pandemic. She also said that it was alleged that 67 per cent of MSMEs were shut but they (Opposition) failed to mention that those were temporarily shut due to the Covid induced lockdown and now they are currently afloat using credit guarantee schemes.
Talking about inflation, Sitharaman said that inflation management was an important job for finance ministries across the world.
“Since 2014, PM Narendra Modi has ensured that we keep our inflation contained…and it is every time brought back to being within 6 per cent and our management is robust,” she said, adding that the highest inflation this country had seen during 2010-14 when retail inflation was around 9 per cent in most of the months.
The Finance Minister said that internet connectivity in rural India is increasing at a fast pace and will soon surpass urban connectivity.
She said that as per the report of Internet and Mobile Association, the rural internet user base is growing three times faster and is likely to surpass the urban user numbers soon.
“Data consumption through Bharatnet optical fibre surpassed 13,000 terrabytes in June 2021 while the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) report in August 2021 said that the total number of internet subscribers has gone up to 82.5 crore,” she said.
Sitharaman also said that, in the Budget she announced, the contracts for laying optical fibre connections in rural and remote areas will be awarded this year and will be completed by 2025.
Replying to the Opposition’s comments on Bangladesh growing faster than India, she informed the House that India’s economy is 10 times bigger than Bangladesh, so if Bangladesh grew at 10 per cent and India grew just at 1 per cent, the absolute number in terms of growth will be the same.
“To say Bangladesh is growing at 5.5 per cent and we are growing at 4.1 per cent is not a completely correct picture in terms of the growth rate,” she said.
Responding to Congress MP Kapil Sibal’s “India in Rahu Kaal since 2014” comment, she said: “Raau Kaal is when a sitting PM was about to meet the US President and a Bill he cleared was torn up.
“Rahu Kaal is what produces what is called G23, it is where the Congress party is. Ours is Amrit Kaal, senior leaders from the party are leaving their own party and getting out. That is Rahu Kaal.”
On request by the Deputy Chairman, the Finance Minister concluded her speech while two Members laid their papers for the ‘Special Mention’ and the chair adjourned the House till March 14, as the first part of the Budget Session was over.