New Delhi, December 27: The Congress has announced the launch of a nationwide “MGNREGA Bachao Andolan” from January 5 to protest the abolition of MGNREGA. This decision was taken at a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the party’s highest policy-making body, held here on Saturday.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, speaking at a press conference at the party headquarters after the CWC meeting, said that MNREGA was not just a scheme, but a rights-based framework that gave millions of rural laborers in the country a legal right to minimum wages. The new VB-G Ram G scheme is an attack on the direct rights framework and also on the federal structure of the states, as the center is now withdrawing funds from the states. This will have a severe impact on the poor and the rural economy.
Kharge said that on December 16, the central government itself acknowledged in Parliament that a NITI Aayog study confirmed the creation of durable assets through MGNREGA. Congress leaders also stated that MGNREGA played a crucial role in rural crisis management during the COVID-19 pandemic by providing employment security to migrant workers. They alleged that this decision was taken directly by the Prime Minister’s Office without any discussion in the Cabinet.
Former Congress President and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, stated that MGNREGA guaranteed legal wage rights for millions of people in the country. The new scheme undermines that rights-based structure and disrupts the federal balance. This is likely to cause serious harm to the rural economy and the poor.
Rahul Gandhi alleged that this decision was taken unilaterally by the Prime Minister’s Office and that an attempt is being made to concentrate its policy benefits to a select few industrialists. Congress is committed to protecting the legacy that strengthened MGNREGA and will continue to fight to protect the federal structure and the rights of rural workers.
It is noteworthy that the Central Government has replaced MGNREGA with the “Viksit Bharat” Guarantee for Razgar and Aajeevika Mission (Gramin) or VB- G Ram G Yojana. It guarantees 125 days of employment in a year, whereas MGNREGA only guaranteed 100 days.