Chandigarh, Feb 4 : Punjab BJP working President Ashwani Kumar Sharma on Wednesday said that through the Viksit Bharat-G-RAM-G scheme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ensured the rights of the poor, labourers, and farmers.

He said the state government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has worked to extinguish the â??hearth of the poorâ??. Addressing a rally in support of the Viksit Bharat-G-RAM-G scheme in Kharar, near here, Sharma said the Modi government focuses on the welfare of the poor, but the Punjab government is only making false claims.

He said the implementation of the G-RAM-G system has given a major blow to corruption as wages will now be transferred directly into workersâ?? bank accounts. The Modi government has introduced fundamental reforms in MGNREGA by increasing the number of workdays to 125, guaranteeing payment within seven days, and providing interest along with the amount if payment is delayed beyond seven days.

â??Moreover, if workers do not get work within 15 days, there is a provision for unemployment allowance.â?? He said all these steps are historic initiatives aimed at providing a social security shield to the poor. He accused the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress of turning the MGNREGA scheme into a hub of corruption for years. Despite thousands of corruption cases coming to light, neither was the money recovered from the guilty nor was anyone punished.

Lawmaker Sharma said through schemes like the Prime Minister Awas Yojana, Ujjwala Gas Scheme, Jal Jeevan Mission, Ayushman Bharat, and the Free Foodgrain Scheme, the Centre has brought a major transformation in the lives of the poor. â??Today, every household is getting toilets, gas connections, and drinking water, which were earlier only dreams.â??

He said the Mann government betrayed people by discontinuing the Dal-Atta scheme meant for the poor, while even today the Central government is supplying free foodgrains under the Prime Ministerâ??s Food Scheme.

â??The Punjab government is trying to take credit for this, which is wrong,â?? he said.

Speaking on law and order, Sharma said incidents involving gangsters, extortion, shootings, and drug abuse are continuously increasing in Punjab, and today, Punjab is living under fear.

â??The government that is expected to ensure peace and security has completely failed.â?? He said the Punjab government â??is actually being run from Delhi and the Chief Minister has been reduced to a mere puppetâ??.

/IANS