New Delhi, Sep 29 (IANS) Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Friday hit out at the Centre over the delay in funding of the social audit unit of MGNREGA, saying this is nothing but a planned euthanasia of the scheme by trapping it in a 'chakravyuh'.

In a post on X, Ramesh said, "Social audits by the gram sabha are an essential part of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. They are meant to enforce accountability and enhance transparency - basically to stamp out corruption. Each state has an independent social audit that is funded directly by the Centre so as to preserve its autonomy. Of late this funding has been getting inordinately delayed."

"As a result, social audits don't get done on time, and the social audit process gets compromised, which is then used as an excuse by the Modi government to deny funds to the states, that in turn affects wage payments and so on," the Rajya Sabha MP said  

"This is nothing but a planned euthanasia of MGNREGA - by trapping the scheme in a chakravyuh," Ramesh said, attaching a news report. 

The Congress has been critical of the government over the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme.