Chandigarh: Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Saturday slammed the BJP-led Centre , accusing it of weakening employment opportunities for the country’s poor, Dalits and labourers by making major changes to the rural employment scheme . He said the latest figures had vindicated concerns raised by AAP when the scheme was renamed VB-G RAM-G .




“The BJP had repeatedly claimed that only the name of the scheme had been changed and everything else remained the same. However, several components that generated employment were altered. The reality is now before the people. The BJP govt has dealt a severe blow to the employment prospects of the poor and labourers,” Cheema said.




Citing figures, he claimed that around 9.56 crore fewer person-days of employment had been generated under the scheme compared with the previous year. “While around 30 crore person-days were generated last year, the figure has fallen to approximately 20.4 crore this year, representing a massive reduction in employment available to rural workers,” he said.




Cheema claimed the impact was particularly significant for Dalits and marginalised communities. “Around 87% of the workers covered under the scheme are from Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities, and the BJP govt’s changes have pushed these communities further down,” he said.




Accusing the BJP of being “anti-Dalit”, Cheema said the changes had hit the poorest sections where it hurt most, affecting their livelihoods and daily wages. “It makes it clear that the BJP is pushing the poor and Dalits away from employment,” he alleged.