Congress announces nationwide protest against G-RAMG Act
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New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday announced a nationwide agitation against the G-RAMG Act beginning January 8, alleging that the legislation “silently kills” the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) and weakens the legal right to work guaranteed to rural citizens.
The announcement was made at a press briefing at the Congress office in New Delhi by party general secretary K. C. Venugopal and senior leader Jairam Ramesh.
Addressing the media, Venugopal said the party has finalised a detailed strategy to protect MNREGA through a countrywide campaign titled ‘MNREGA Bachao Abhiyan’. He said the Congress National Committee held extensive discussions on the future course of action against the G-RAMG Act and decided to launch a strong nationwide movement to safeguard MNREGA.
Describing the new law as harmful, Venugopal said MNREGA had played a crucial role in reducing hunger and migration while contributing to the creation of rural infrastructure such as roads, canals and dams. He added that during the COVID-19 period and the subsequent economic crisis, MNREGA served as a vital safety net for millions of people.
Venugopal alleged that under the G-RAMG framework, employment is no longer a guaranteed right. “Under G-RAMG, employment is no longer a right. Work will only be provided through panchayats and not by the government. MNREGA was demand-driven, while G-RAMG introduces budget caps. It silently kills the legal right to work,” he said.
Jairam Ramesh warned that the decentralised character of MNREGA was being dismantled. He said decisions that were earlier taken locally would now be centralised in Delhi, adversely affecting villages across the country. “MNREGA was a decentralised scheme. Now everything will be decided in Delhi and villages will suffer. Many panchayats will receive zero funds,” he added.
Ramesh also alleged that the G-RAMG Act violates constitutional provisions. Referring to Article 258 of the Constitution, he said the formula should be finalised after consultation between the Centre and the states. “They did not do so and decided it themselves. This violates the Constitution,” he said.
Drawing a parallel with the farmers’ agitation against the three farm laws, Ramesh said the upcoming campaign would not be confined to the national capital. “The farm laws protest was Delhi-centric, but MNREGA Bachao Abhiyan will not be Delhi-centric. It will take place at the state, district, block and panchayat levels,” he said.
Recalling the origins of MNREGA, Ramesh said the Act was passed in 2005 with broad political consensus and after detailed committee scrutiny. Criticising the new legislation, he remarked, “This is not Viksit Bharat, it is Vinash Bharat. We demand that MNREGA be brought back and rural India be saved.”
Outlining the roadmap of the agitation, Ramesh said the campaign would begin on January 8 and continue for 45 days. “This will be a national movement. If required, we will approach the court. The result will be the same as what happened with the three black farm laws,” he added.
With IANS inputs