UPA unhappy, shifts Joshi to transport

Jan 20, 2011 |

Age Correspondent

New Delhi

Rural development minister C.P. Joshi was shifted to the surface transport ministry as the top UPA leadership was unhappy with his performance since the government took over in 2009. Sources in the Congress party said Mr Joshi had been given the crucial rural development ministry in 2009 at the behest of AICC general secretary

Rahul Gandhi, who was keen to enhance the reach and impact of the flagship MGNREGA all over the country. It may be mentioned that started in 2006, MGNREGA had politically benefited the Congress in the 2009 General Elections.
Besides, the RD ministry was seen as an important platform for the UPA II in enhancing the aam aadmi agenda of the Congress party. Sources said Mr Joshi’s tenure had been controversial as problems related to the implementation of the rural job scheme continued. Mr Joshi often had serious differences of opinion with the NAC members like Jean Dreze and Aruna Roy, who wanted changes in the conduct of social audit of MGNREGA and demanded payment of minimum wages to the workers.
Only after NAC chairperson Sonia Gandhi intervened in the matter did the rural development ministry decided to revise the MGNREGA wages by linking it with the consumer price index for the agricultural labour. During his tenure, the performance of schemes like the PM’s rural roads scheme, the housing scheme for the poor besides drinking water and sanitation schemes also moved slowly.

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