Minister to Rahul Gandhi: Will report to you
Joshi’s comment raises eyebrows at NREGA meet.
By TNN |
NEW DELHI: When central ministers are vying with each other to brag about being on SMS terms with Congress���s heir apparent Rahul Gandhi, rural development minister C P Joshi on Thursday proved to be streets ahead of them all.
Joshi not only had Rahul as chief guest of a workshop on NREGA, his favourite subject , but virtually treated him like his boss. If his ���I will report the progress to you��� raised eyebrows, it also had its effect.
Rahul, while choosing not to speak himself, showed interest in the gathering which included UID chairman Nandan Nilekani and Sam Pitroda and Joshi pulled off what could politically be the neighbour���s envy.
Joshi heads a ministry which has been picked by Rahul to project the ���aam aadmi��� face of Congress and his advocacy of NREGA is now well known. Rahul���s role in expansion of job scheme countrywide and his use of the Act to corner Mayawati regime in the impoverished Bundelkhand in UP has given him a strong identification with it. Thursday���s workshop may be the clincher.
The RD ministry organised a national workshop on NREGA to commemorate Rajiv Gandhi���s birth anniversary and had Rahul as chief guest, flanked by junior ministers Pradeep Jain, Sisir Adhikary and Agatha Sangma.
Addressing Rahul in effusive terms, Joshi said the MP had encouraged his ministry to take the right steps.
The RD minister announced a clutch of programmes under NREGA, important being construction of offices for all 2.52 lakh panchayats ��� Bharat Nirman Rajiv Gandhi Sewa Kendra.
Joshi was scathing about NREGA and minced no words in calling victimisation of poor at the hands of government���s delivery officials as reason for his loss of faith, even a cause for rise in Naxalism.
Calling the implementation of job scheme a challenge , he said, ���Everywhere, including in Parliament, there are doubts in everybody���s mind that the way in which NREGA should function, is not happening. Job cards are not reaching beneficiaries, sarpanches are supposed to make plans but that is not happening and funds for material components are not being used properly,��� he said.
He, however, sought to assure Rahul that use of IT and a proper mechanism would make NREGA the new mode of governance. Nilekani announced a collaboration with NREGA for UID project. He said UID was about providing an identity to the poor. He said UIDs, based on biometrics , could be there with job cards given under NREGA, which would ���remove the ghost of duplication in the system��� and ensure that valid job card holders were given work and wages.
Joshi not only had Rahul as chief guest of a workshop on NREGA, his favourite subject , but virtually treated him like his boss. If his ���I will report the progress to you��� raised eyebrows, it also had its effect.
Rahul, while choosing not to speak himself, showed interest in the gathering which included UID chairman Nandan Nilekani and Sam Pitroda and Joshi pulled off what could politically be the neighbour���s envy.
Joshi heads a ministry which has been picked by Rahul to project the ���aam aadmi��� face of Congress and his advocacy of NREGA is now well known. Rahul���s role in expansion of job scheme countrywide and his use of the Act to corner Mayawati regime in the impoverished Bundelkhand in UP has given him a strong identification with it. Thursday���s workshop may be the clincher.
The RD ministry organised a national workshop on NREGA to commemorate Rajiv Gandhi���s birth anniversary and had Rahul as chief guest, flanked by junior ministers Pradeep Jain, Sisir Adhikary and Agatha Sangma.
Addressing Rahul in effusive terms, Joshi said the MP had encouraged his ministry to take the right steps.
The RD minister announced a clutch of programmes under NREGA, important being construction of offices for all 2.52 lakh panchayats ��� Bharat Nirman Rajiv Gandhi Sewa Kendra.
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Joshi was scathing about NREGA and minced no words in calling victimisation of poor at the hands of government���s delivery officials as reason for his loss of faith, even a cause for rise in Naxalism.
Calling the implementation of job scheme a challenge , he said, ���Everywhere, including in Parliament, there are doubts in everybody���s mind that the way in which NREGA should function, is not happening. Job cards are not reaching beneficiaries, sarpanches are supposed to make plans but that is not happening and funds for material components are not being used properly,��� he said.
He, however, sought to assure Rahul that use of IT and a proper mechanism would make NREGA the new mode of governance. Nilekani announced a collaboration with NREGA for UID project. He said UID was about providing an identity to the poor. He said UIDs, based on biometrics , could be there with job cards given under NREGA, which would ���remove the ghost of duplication in the system��� and ensure that valid job card holders were given work and wages.
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