Congress Protests Alleged Replacement of MGNREGS in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: The Congress party, under the banner of the Rajiv Gandhi Panchayati Raj Sangathan (RGPRS), on Monday staged a satyagraha at Lower PMG Square here, protesting the alleged replacement of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) with the newly introduced VB–G RAM–G scheme.

Following the protest, Congress leaders submitted a memorandum to Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati, demanding the immediate restoration of MGNREGS in its original form.

The agitation was led by RGPRS National Chairman Sunil Panwar and State Chairperson Sudarshan Das, along with senior members of the organisation and party supporters. The protesters alleged that the new scheme diluted the legal rights of rural workers guaranteed under MGNREGS.

Addressing the gathering, Panwar claimed that the Union government had dismantled a rights-based legislation that ensured employment security for the rural poor. He alleged that while MGNREGS provided a statutory right to work, the VB–G RAM–G framework was merely a scheme that could be withdrawn at any time. “Under MGNREGS, job cardholders had the legal right to demand work within 15 days. That right has now been taken away,” he said.

Panwar further alleged that the new framework curtailed the powers of Panchayati Raj institutions. He claimed that earlier, panchayats had the authority to decide the nature and timing of works at the village level, and workers could seek employment throughout the year. Provisions such as unemployment allowance in case work was not provided within the stipulated time, he said, had also been removed.

Criticising the revised funding pattern, Panwar said that under MGNREGS, the Centre bore 100 per cent of the wage cost, with states largely responsible for administrative expenses. He alleged that the new 60:40 Centre-state funding ratio would adversely affect financially weaker states, limiting their ability to undertake development works and provide employment to rural labourers.

Echoing similar concerns, RGPRS Odisha Chairperson Sudarshan Das alleged that the BJP-led government had undermined the spirit of the MGNREGS Act. He claimed that the introduction of the new scheme diluted the constitutional intent of the right to work as envisaged under the Directive Principles of State Policy.

The Congress leaders demanded an immediate rollback of the VB–G RAM–G scheme and the restoration of MGNREGS as a rights-based employment guarantee programme.