The Congress on Saturday announced a nationwide three-phase agitation titled "MGNREGA Bachao", after the Centre's newly enacted Viksit Bharat -- Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB--G RAM G) Act. The agitation will begin from January 8.
The announcement came during a press conference addressed by Congress General Secretaries KC Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh who accused the Centre of attempting to centralise the employment guarantee scheme and acting arbitrarily. They said new bill "silently kills” the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) and undermines the legal right to work guaranteed to rural citizens. Removing the name of Mahatma Gandhi is also a "most condemnable act,” they added. Venugopal said the CWC had finalised the future strategy on MGNREGA and approved a structured campaign titled "MGNREGA Bachao Sangram
"Phase 1 will begin on January 8 with a full-day preparatory meeting at Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) offices in the presence of general secretaries and in-charges. District-level press conference will be held at District Congress Committee (DCC) offices on January 10, followed by a one-day fast at district headquarters on January 11 near the statues of Mahatma Gandhi and BR Ambedkar," he said.
As per the party, phase 2 of the campaign will run from January 12 to January 30. During this period, panchayat-level chaupals will be organised across all gram panchayats, along with the delivery of a letter from the Congress president.
"Vidhan Sabha-level nukkad sabhas and pamphlet distribution are also planned. On January 30, Martyr's Day, the party will hold peaceful sit-ins at the ward level with MGNREGA workers," Venugopal said."Phase 3 will begin on January 31 with district-level MNREGA Bachao dharnas at DC/DM offices till February 6. This will be followed by state-level gheraos of Vidha Sabha buildings from February 7 to February 15 and four zonal AICC rallies across the country between February 16 and February 25," he added.
Jairam Ramesh said the campaign would be launched on January 8, alleging that the government was moving to centralise MGNREGA.
"The government is acting arbitrarily; we will challenge the newly created MNREGA in court," he said, adding that this agitation will be a struggle to save MGNREGA. Venugopal said, "Although this is a Congress program, we will also talk to the opposition and if they want, they can join, but Congress will expose the government on this issue."
Jairam Ramesh said, "We will also talk to the opposition parties. During the session, opposition parties in the House had opposed the new MNREGA law. There are governments of different opposition parties in different states. We will talk and try to include everyone." Jairam Ramesh warned that the decentralised nature of MNREGA was being dismantled. “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 alleged that the law violates constitutional provisions. “Article 258 of the Constitution says this formula should be decided after consultation between the state and central governments. But they did not do so. They decided it themselves. This violates the Constitution,” he said.
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