Sonia Gandhi Flags Lack of Funds in Key Government Schemes in Rajya Sabha

Sonia Gandhi, Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson, has highlighted significant funding gaps in key government schemes during the Rajya Sabha session. She noted that the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), which provides maternity benefits to pregnant women, is severely underfunded. The scheme requires an annual budget of ₹12,000 crore, but the current allocation is only ₹2,521 crore. This discrepancy has led to a drastic fall in entitlements, with only 12% of eligible women receiving benefits in recent years.

 

Additionally, Gandhi criticized the government for systematically undermining the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) by keeping its budget allocation stagnant. She demanded an increase in wages and more guaranteed workdays under the scheme.

 

Sources: Hindustan Times, NDTV, The Hindu BusinessLine.