Punjab discriminated against in Rural Employment Scheme: Ms Gulshan

New Delhi, Nov 24 (UNI) SAD member from Punjab Paramjit Kaur Gulshan today charged the Centre with discriminating against her state by covering only one of the 20-odd districts under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS).

Speaking during the Question Hour in the Lok Sabha, Ms Gulshan also accused the Congress-ruled state government of politicising the matter.

However, Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh denied the allegation saying that all districts in the country would be covered in five years and allotting of 50 per cent funds to village panchayats under the scheme could not be dubbed as politicising of the development programme.

Besides, periodic review meetings had been undertaken by the Rural Ministry from time to time to ensure smooth implementation of the scheme, the Minister added.

Ms Gulshan claimed that a lot of corruption was involved in the implementation of the programme and deserving people were left out of the scheme.

UNI JSS MSJ HS1333