CWC Meet: Kharge calls on party members to formulate concrete plan for nationwide movement against "scrapping" of MGNREGA

New Delhi [India], December 27 : Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday called on party members to "formulate a concrete plan" for a nationwide movement against the Centre's decision to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgaar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act (VB-G RAM-G) 2025
Kharge, in his opening remarks at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, said that "scrapping" of MGNREGA is an "insult" to Mahatma Gandhi and "a kick" in the stomach of poor people.
"In the recently concluded Winter Session of Parliament, the Modi government has scrapped MGNREGA, leaving millions of poor and vulnerable people without support. In addition to kicking the poor in the stomach, the Modi government has stabbed them in the back. Scrapping MGNREGA is an insult to the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi," he said.
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Kharge further criticised the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government for the VB-G RAM-G Act, accusing it of attacking the Right to Work.
"This violates the Rights enshrined in Article 41 of the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSPs) of the Constitution, on which the UPA government took significant steps, such as the Right to Work, Right to Food, Right to Education, and Right to Health. I am deeply saddened that the Modi government has launched a premeditated and brutal attack on the Right to Work. • The Modi government is not concerned with the poor, but only with the profits of a handful of big capitalists," he said.
Calling for a nationwide movement against the "scrapping" of MGNREGA, Kharge reminded of previous Congress-led movements that forced the BJP to backtrack on its decision.
"It is our collective responsibility to formulate a concrete plan on MGNREGA, to build a nationwide, people's movement. We will win this battle. In these difficult times, the vulnerable people across the country are looking towards the Congress," he said.
"At this moment, there is a need for a nationwide movement. There must be strong opposition to this in every corner of the country. Because earlier, in January 2015, when the Modi government amended the Land Acquisition Act in the interests of corporates, Congress workers took to the streets, and the government had to back down," Kharge added.
The Congress President further recalled that the farmers' protest in 2020-21 against the three farm laws was opposed by the opposition in the Parliament.
Kharge said, "In June 2020, amidst the lockdown, Modi ji brought in an Ordinance and imposed the three black farm laws. Despite opposition from the Opposition in Parliament, the laws were passed. Over 700 farmers who were protesting against it attained martyrdom. The government laid nails, sprayed water cannons, and suppressed them."
Kharge added, "We stood firmly with the farmers, and in November 2021, the Prime Minister had to apologise to the farmers and repeal the laws. Rahul ji had predicted the repeal of these black laws much earlier. And recently, he has also predicted that the Modi government will have to restore MGNREGA again."
The Parliament passed the VB-G RAM G Bill on December 18, and it received the President's assent on December 21.
The law guarantees 125 days of wage employment per rural household, up from the existing 100 days, for adult members willing to undertake unskilled manual work.
As per Section 22 of the law, the fund-sharing pattern between the Central Government and the State Governments will be 60:40, while for the North Eastern States, Himalayan States, and Union Territories (Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir), it will be 90:10.
Section 6 of the law allows the state governments to notify in advance, a period aggregating to sixty days in a financial year, covering the peak agricultural seasons of sowing and harvesting.