Revive employment guarantee, protect the poor’

Hyderabad: BC State Finance Corporation Chairman Nuti Srikanth Goud on Friday demanded the revival and expansion of the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, asserting that the Congress party would not tolerate any attempt to weaken or discard it. Addressing the media here on Wednesday, he said the scheme, which guarantees 100 days of employment to rural men and women, is a lifeline for the poor and must be safeguarded at all costs.

He said undermining the Employment Guarantee Scheme amounts to trampling on the spirit of the Constitution. Drawing a sharp parallel, he remarked that conditions reminiscent of the pre-Independence era have resurfaced, with policies aimed at centralising power and depriving the poor of their basic economic security. He alleged that reforms were being misused to strip the law of its core objective—ensuring livelihoods.

Criticising the Central government, Goud accused it of acting vindictively against Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes by cancelling works and denying employment, pushing vulnerable sections towards hunger.

He reiterated that public administration under the Congress government in Telangana is centred on BC welfare. Citing the caste census conducted under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, he noted that BCs constitute 56 per cent of the population. Though bills proposing 42 per cent reservation in education, employment and local bodies were passed, they remain pending approval.

Stating that true development lies in transforming people’s lives, not merely constructing buildings, Goud said the people’s government is implementing its promises step by step and ensuring welfare schemes reach the intended beneficiaries.