Hyderabad: The Telangana government said it would not accept the proposed MGNREGS law in its present form. It alleged that the Bill undermined the rights of states and weakened the federal structure. Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said the state would approach the Supreme Court if required.
Speaking after the second Cabinet sub-committee meeting at the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Telangana Secretariat, Uttam Kumar Reddy said the proposal went beyond a simple amendment. He alleged that it sought to centralise powers that belonged to the states under the Constitution.
Proposed MGNREGS law draws Telangana objections
Panchayat Raj Minister Danasari Anasuya Seethakka, Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao, Labour Minister Gaddam Vivek Venkatswamy, senior officials and representatives of nearly 20 civil society organisations attended the meeting.
Uttam Kumar Reddy said legal experts told the committee that several provisions could violate the Constitution. Therefore, the government was examining legal options. It would challenge the legislation in the Supreme Court if necessary.
He also said Telangana would consult Karnataka and Kerala. Together, the states would prepare a joint legal and political strategy to protect their constitutional rights.
Proposed MGNREGS law raises employment concerns
According to the minister, civil society organisations opposed the Centre’s proposal. They also urged Telangana to enact its own employment guarantee law.
The organisations rejected the proposed 60-day employment limit. Instead, they demanded a legal guarantee of at least 200 days of work for every rural family. They also sought statutory minimum wages.
Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that the proposed 60:40 funding pattern would impose an additional burden of several thousand crore rupees on Telangana. Moreover, he criticised the Centre’s allocation formula. He claimed it penalised better-performing states while favouring others.
The minister said Telangana had already submitted detailed suggestions to the Centre. However, he alleged that the Centre ignored them.
He announced that the Cabinet would discuss the issue on July 2. It would then take a final decision. The government would consider all options, including a state law, a Supreme Court challenge and coordinated action with other states.