Modi govt pursuing Digital India fantasy at the expense of the country’s poor: TMC

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) has accused the Narendra Modi-led Central government of pursuing the Digital India “fantasy” at the expense of the country’s rural poor who will allegedly suffer due the decision to make Aadhaar-based payment system (ABPS) mandatory for payment of wages.

TMC, on Thursday, took to social media to claim that the Modi government has unilaterally enforced it at a time when 8.82 crore registered workers and 1.78 crore active workers find themselves ineligible for ABPS.

The party wrote on social media: “Despite widespread concerns flagged by workers, practitioners & researchers alike, the Modi Govt. has unilaterally enforced the mandatory Aadhaar-based payment system. 8.82 crore registered workers and 1.78 crore active workers find themselves ineligible for ABPS. PM @narendramodi is fulfilling his ‘Digital India’ fantasy at the expense of India’s rural poor.” Trinamool has also called it a “cruel joke” on the rural poor.

According to reports, data provided by the Rural Development Ministry, as of January 2, 2024, stated that there are around 14.32 crore active workers under the MGNREGS of whom 14.08 crore (98.31 per cent) have been Aadhaar-seeded.

It was learnt that the Union government had made it mandatory last year and started its implementation from the beginning of this month. The ABPS was made mandatory for payment of wages to workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). The ABPS system requires a worker’s bank account and job card to be linked with Aadhaar. The account is also to be linked with the National Payment Corporation of India’s ‘mapper’, it was reported.

However, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress too has criticised the Modi government for the decision and called it a “cruel New Year gift”. It has accused the central government of “weaponising” technology by “misusing” Aadhaar against the poor.

Earlier, the TMC had also criticised the Centre’s decision to implement a mobile app-based attendance system for MGNREGA workers. Several Opposition parties too criticised it as lack of internet connectivity may lead to difficulties in registering attendance which in turn can lead to wage loss.

After much backlash over the ABPS decision, the Central government is now learnt to have reportedly said that it may consider exemptions from the Aadhaar-based payment system for paying wages under MGNREGA on a “case to case” basis.