The Indian National Congress has declared a major nationwide agitation against the central government's decision to replace the flagship rural employment guarantee scheme, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), with a new law. The party announced it will launch the 'Save MNREGA Campaign' starting January 5th.
Congress Vows to Protect 'Right to Work'
Following a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Saturday, party president Mallikarjun Kharge stated that replacing the scheme named after Mahatma Gandhi is an insult to the Father of the Nation. He emphasized that the party took an oath to protect MGNREGA at all costs, describing it not merely as a scheme but as a constitutional right to work for the people.
Kharge, addressing the media, asserted that the Congress would lead a massive movement across the country with the MGNREGA scheme as its central focus. He pledged to democratically oppose every attempt to remove Gandhiji's name from the employment guarantee framework, warning that the government would have to face the consequences of public anger over the repeal.
Allegations of a 'One-Man Show' in Governance
Adding to the criticism, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, claimed that the decision to replace MGNREGA was taken unilaterally by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office. He alleged that the move was executed without consulting the concerned ministers or the Union Cabinet, reflecting a style of governance that has become a "one-man show."
Rahul Gandhi stressed that MGNREGA represented a fundamental, rights-based concept for rural workers, which is now under direct attack. His comments underscore the opposition's charge of centralized and non-consultative decision-making by the ruling dispensation.
The New Law: VB G-RAM-G and Its Provisions
The contentious legislation, known as the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill or VB G-RAM-G, was passed during the recent winter session of Parliament and has already received the assent of President Droupadi Murmu. This new law replaces the UPA-era MGNREGA.
Key features of the new legislation include:
- A statutory guarantee of 125 days of wage employment per financial year for rural households whose adult members volunteer for unskilled manual work.
- A significant shift in funding: instead of being a fully central scheme, the financial burden will now be shared between the Centre and states in a 60:40 ratio.
The Congress and other opposition parties have strongly objected to the new law, primarily citing the removal of Mahatma Gandhi's name from the title as a grave insult. The stage is now set for a major political confrontation as the Congress prepares to roll out its pan-India protest from the first week of January.
