Deshmukh to look

into delinking NREGA

from wages Act
BS REPORTER gle were the only ways out
New Delhi, 20 January when the government itself was
going against the Constitution.
enior Congress leader Vi- Referring to the Prime Minis-

S lasrao Deshmukh, who ter’s recent decision to delink

took charge today as the the NREGA wages from the
Union rural development min- wages Act, he said it was not a
ister, said he would look into matter for debate at all.
the controversy over delinking Speaking at a seminar on
the National Rural Employment minimum wages for the un-
Guarantee Act (NREGA), the organised sector here, Verma
government’s said those who
largest rural em- had taken an
ployment pro-
FORMER CJI oath were duty-
gramme, from J S VERMA SAID bound to go by
the Minimum protests and struggle the Constitution
Wages Act. were the only ways and laws of the
“I have to go land, and the rest
into the matter,
out when the by virtue of be-
as I am not aware government itself was ing citizens were
of the ministry’s going against the also bound by
position and the Constitution their fundamen-
court rulings in tal duties.
the matter so far,” he said. Former rural development
Yesterday, former Supreme minister C P Joshi had been
Court Chief Justice J S Verma saying that NREGA did not
called delinking of the works have to go by the Minimum
programme from the Minimum Wages Act. He told Business
Wages Act as unconstitutional Standard recently that the de-
and illegal, adding the apex court mand for minimum wages
should take suo motu cognisance were being made as part of an
of the violation of multiple pro- agenda by communist parties
visions of the Constutution by which wanted to keep wages
the government and defiance of low. “Why do you want mini-
court orders to delink NREGA mum wages when people are
wages from the Act. getting much better than that?” New Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi (left) with his predecessor Praful Patel after assuming
He said protests and strug- he had asked. charge of the ministry in New Delhi on Thursday. PHOTO: PTI