Cong plans nationwide 'save MGNREGA' stir

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Saturday pledged to "protect" the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) "at all costs" and take the party's message to "every last village" through a nationwide campaign starting January 5, days after the Centre introduced a new rural jobs scheme.

- Saubhadra Chatterji

While the final format of the campaign is yet to be finalised, people aware of the matter said it will include rallies, door-todoor drives, sit-in demonstrations, meetings, and distribution of leaflets on the flagship programme of the previous UPA government. It was replaced in the recently held winter session by the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission(Gramin), or VB-G RAM G.

"The Congress will take the lead and launch the 'MGNREGA Bachao Abhiyan' (Save MGNREGA Campaign) from January 5. We will fight unitedly for the rights of rural labourers to dignity, employment, fair wages and timely payment," Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said after a meeting of the CWC, the party's highest executive body, in Delhi.

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, compared the replacement of the scheme to demonetisation and accused the government of attacking India's federal structure. "It is a devastating attack on the states and the poor, carried out by the Prime Minister single-handedly, much like Notebandi' (demonetisation). It will cause tremendous hardship for the weaker sections," Gandhi said.

The BJP dismissed the Congress's allegation, with Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan accusing the Opposition of indulging in "purely political clamour" and shedding "crocodile tears".