In-charge Minister of Mysuru district H.C. Mahadevappa strongly opposed the Centre’s move of repealing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and replacing it with the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act, terming the move a “national insult” to Mahatma Gandhi and an “anti-poor” measure.
Addressing a press conference here on January 12, the Minister demanded that the Centre immediately roll back the new Act, alleging that it snatches away the legally guaranteed right to work for crores of rural poor across the country.
He criticised the removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the legislation, stating that Gandhi was revered globally for his non-violence movement and that erasing his name has brought disrepute to the nation at the international level.
Dr. Mahadevappa alleged that the VB-G RAM G Act was introduced in haste without consulting the States. He said the legislation weakens decentralisation by allegedly curtailing the constitutional powers of gram panchayats and placing them under the direct control of the Centre.
“The assurance of 100 days of work has become uncertain, as the new Act does not guarantee employment during the harvesting season,” he claimed.
Highlighting the importance of MGNREGA, the Minister recalled that the scheme, introduced during the UPA government led by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, played a crucial role in supporting migrant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. He said nearly 19 crore people nationwide had benefited from the scheme during that period, with about 12 crore people, including 28% of SCs/STs and six crore women dependent on it across the country. Around 71 lakh beneficiaries were in Karnataka alone. More than 50% of the workers under the scheme are women, both at the national and State levels, he added.
Accusing the BJP of undermining the decentralisation of power, Dr. Mahadevappa alleged that the NDA government had systematically removed Mahatma Gandhi’s name from history and targeted several eminent personalities. “The new Act is a threat to democratic principles,” he alleged.
He also pointed out that under the new legislation, States will be required to bear 40% of the funding, compared to just 10% earlier, alleging that the move was intended to weaken the financial position of States. “The right to work has been violated, and the Centre is behaving in a dictatorial manner by imposing its decisions on States,” he charged, accusing the Centre of violating political, economic, and constitutional principles, apart from the principles of Gram Swaraj and Antyodaya.
Mysuru District Congress president B.J. Vijaykumar and Mysuru City Congress president R. Murthy were present.
Curated by Aisha Patel
