March 10, 2026
Md Nadimul Haque’s speech on the working of Rural Development
Sir, thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to speak on this subject. I stand here today to speak on the Discussion on the Working of the Ministry of Rural Development. Yesterday, we discussed the Working of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change. I want to start by saying that two Ministries — the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry — have to be discussed. Through you, Sir, I want to request for these two Ministries to be discussed. We cannot run away. Today, we are discussing Rural Development, but we also need to discuss the working of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Why is the Government running away from this discussion? Sir, as I begin my speech on the Working of the Ministry of Rural Development, — my mind is here, but my heart is in my hometown, to the Kolkata Metro Channel. Let me draw the attention of the hon. Minister of Rural Development to eight specific points which I have. This is the Council of States. We will raise issues relating to States. Firstly, West Bengal was among the top performing States under MGNREGA, with approximately 1.37 crore rural households receiving employment. But, you have withheld dues worth Rs. 52,000 crore to Bengal under MGNREGA. 59 lakh workers have been deprived since March, 2022. When will the dues be paid? I ask the Government: Why did you disrespect the judgments of the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court? Why did you commit contempt of court? Sir, all the MPs from Trinamool Congress demanded this every Session. Our leader and national General Secretary, Shri Abhishek Banerjee and all of us were forcibly removed from the Rural Development Ministry and taken to a police station. Why this step motherly treatment towards Bengal? Then, you went ahead and repealed the Act itself, removed Mahatma Gandhi’s name, insulted the Father of the Nation. But this is your habit, I can say this much. You have disrespected Swami Vivekananda, Rabindranath Tagore and Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. We respect Gandhiji. The Bengal Government introduced its own scheme, the Mahatma-Shree. The scheme has generated over 100 crore man-days of work for over 78 lakh job card holders. Now, you have brought a new Act, VB-G RAM G but that is also a hasty piece of legislation. Earlier, the funding was 90:10 – 90 per cent by the Union Government, 10 per cent by the States. But now you have changed it to where States will need to pay 40 per cent of the funds and any amount spent over and above, what the Union Government has allocated to the State, would have to be borne by the State now. This is an attack on federalism. It is an attack on the right to livelihood as enshrined in our Constitution. You have given a mandatory 60-day off period; that is, in a year, for two months, you will not get work. The ones who want to work, you are forcing 60 days of forced unemployment on them. You have made a national level steering committee to determine how much employment will be given to which State. However, you have not included any representation from the States. When three out of ten workers are not eligible for the Aadhaar payment system, why are you forcing a payment system which systematically deprives the workers? I have to say that nearly Rs.25,000 crores is due under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Gramin to the State of West Bengal. You have deprived eleven lakh families. Learn from us. The West Bengal Government has introduced its own scheme named Banglar Bari and provided houses to 32 lakh families at an annual outlay of over Rs.38,400 crores. Learn from our vision of Ma, Mati and Manush. Learn from our leader, Ms. Mamata Banerjee. Puducherry and Telangana had completed zero cent of the houses against their targets. Kerala had completed only 15 per cent, Karnataka 18 per cent and Haryana 27 per cent. West Bengal’s completion rate stands at 75 per cent yet our funds have been stopped. Our funds have been stopped! Over Rs.2,700 crore is due under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana to Bengal. Puducherry and Nagaland have achieved zero per cent of their target plan. Assam achieved 13 per cent, Jharkhand achieved 15 per cent, Karnataka 19 per cent and even Gujarat stood at only 31 per cent. West Bengal has completed 93 per cent work yet the funds have stopped for West Bengal. Under Bengal’s own scheme, Pathashree-Rastashree, over two lakh kilometres of roads have been constructed and another 30,000 kilometres are being built. Overall dues for West Bengal under the Ministry of Rural Development amounts to nearly Rs.79,000 crores. This itself makes more than 40 per cent of the Ministry’s Budget for 2026-27. The Fifteenth Finance Commission has suggested providing funds to States for road maintenance. Even the Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj had reiterated the recommendation. However, States are now asked to sign a Memorandum of Understanding as per Union Government terms which states that States allocate funds for ten years of routine maintenance of roads after construction, including funds for renewal of roads, if necessary. Sir, these are my points. Now, I would like to ask five direct questions to the hon. Minister. I hope the hon. Minister will give the answer when he replies to the discussion. Number one: Under the National Livelihood Mission- Aajeevika, PMAY-G did not utilize 41 per cent, and Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission did not utilize 16 per cent of the funds allocated towards it. Under these two schemes alone, over Rs. 25,000 crore was not utilized. Why? Sir, my second question is this. The National Family Benefit Scheme did not utilise 40 per cent of the funds allocated last year. Why? Sir, the Annapurna Scheme was allocated Rs. 10 crore last year. Utilization! Zero amount, why! Under PM-JANMAN, in tribal areas for PMGSY, only 16 per cent is the completion rate. In fact, the scheme did not utilize 42 per cent of the funds allocated to it last year. Allocation for the North-East region had an under-utilization of 42 per cent. This year, the Budget and the scheme for the North-East region have shrunk by 11 per cent. Why? Sir, my last question. One out of four positions is vacant in the Ministry of Rural Development. Again, I ask, why? Sir, let me come to the end. I am sure, I will not exceed my time. सर, हम ग्रामण विकास के बारे में चर्चा कर रहे हैं। आज देश में जो लाचार मज़दूर हैं, लाचार किसान हैं, वे भी भारत माता के बेटे हैं। मैं उनका दर्द, उनकी पीड़ा आपके सामने लाना चाहता हूँ और सारे किसानों की आबाज़ उठाता हूँ। जब हम भारत माँ से कहते हैं कि
“बेटा कैसा भी हो जाए, पर माँ तो माँ होती है,
तू झांक के देख दिल में कभी, हम कितने दर्द सहते हैं,
मा हम भी तेरे बेटे हैं, माँ हम भी तेरे बेटे हैं।”
