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Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC President D K Shivakumar today said that the Congress has decided to name all the 6000 panchayat offices in Karnataka after Mahatma Gandhi. Speaking after participating in Raj Bhavan Chalo, a protest march against the discontinuation of the MGNREGA scheme, he said that Mahatma Gandhi's legacy will become permanent once all gram panchayats are named after him.

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To Honour Mahatma Gandhi's Legacy

"KPCC Vice President Ugrappa and KPCC office bearers have written to me about this. We have requested the CM about this. By naming gram panchayat offices after Mahatma Gandhi, his legacy will be made permanent. Gandhiji's conviction was to have a school, cooperative society and a panchayat for every village," he stated.

Protest Against MGNREGA Discontinuation

"We are fighting for the employment rights of the poor. It was Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh who gave employment to rural people. In 2013, the World Bank had lauded this project. Under the project, Rs 6000 crore was being spent in around 5700 panchayats," he added.

He said that Panchayats used to decide on the works taken up under the MGNREGA scheme, which helped farmers financially. "Panchayats used to decide on the works to be taken up under MGNREGA. The scheme helped farmers to work on their farms and get paid. This project was formulated by C P Joshi under the guidance of Sonia Gandhi. Indira Awas scheme, cattle sheds and agricultural works were covered under MGNREGA," he added.

Centre Changes Funding Model

He stated that previously the Centre used to fund 90% of the scheme, with the rest to be paid by the state; however, the new scheme requires the states to pay 40% of the cost. "The Centre used to fund 90% of the scheme, and the state used to pay the rest. For works involving steel and cement, the state had to pay a share of 25%. The scheme had employed 7,000 people in supervisory capacity. The new scheme expects the states to pay 40% of the cost. We are conducting a special session, and let's see what the BJP leaders will say," he added.

'BJP Killing Gandhi's Legacy'

Furthermore, Shivakumar criticised the Bhartiya Janata Party, stating that they have lost their right to sit in front of Mahatma Gandhi's statue after removing Gandhi's name from the scheme that employed numerous workers. He further said that the BJP has lost the right to hang the photo of Mahatma Gandhi at their offices. "I heard that the BJP is protesting in front of the Gandhi statue. They have lost the right to sit before the Gandhi statue. They have also lost the right to hang a photo of Gandhiji in their offices. Nathuram Godse killed Gandhiji, and now the BJP and NDA are killing his legacy. You can't erase his name from history," he added.

Ready for Debate on Scheme's 'Irregularities'

The Deputy CM further argued that it is wrong to scrap the entire scheme only because of some irregularities. "Kumaraswamy and BJP leaders can come for a debate on MGNREGA. I am ready. It is 20 years since the scheme came into effect, during which the BJP has been in power for 11 years. What were they doing if irregularities had taken place in the scheme? It is not right to scrap the entire scheme if there are some instances of corruption," he said.

He said that it is not possible even for BJP-led states to implement the new scheme, as the Centre has not paid the MGNREGA dues. "The NDA ally Chandrababu Naidu himself has raised concerns about the new scheme. The BJP government will get into trouble if it doesn't withdraw the new scheme. Chandrababu Naidu has sent the warning signal," he stated. (ANI)