Cong holds 'Satyagraha' in Bhubaneswar demanding withdrawal of VB-G RAM G

RGPRS Odisha Chairperson Sudarshan Das alleged that the central government has distorted the historic law MGNREGA and omitted the name of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, which is shameful for the entire country.

Congress leaders staged a 'satyagraha' here on Monday, demanding the withdrawal of Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), commonly known as VB-G RAM G. The Union government has formulated the VB-G RAM G scheme, replacing the 20-year-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

Demanding the withdrawal of VB-G RAM G, several Congress workers, under the banner of the Rajiv Gandhi Panchayati Raj Sangathan (RGPRS) staged the protest here as part of nationwide agitation. RGPRS chairman Sunil Panwar said the BJP-led NDA government has brought an ''anti-workers'' law repealing the right-based act, MGNREGA. ''Under MGNREGA, the workers had the right to claim work for 100 days. Now, the central government has completely removed it,'' he alleged.

The workers are behind the development of all infrastructures in the country, and the Modi government has snatched their right to work, the Congress leader alleged. During the MGNREGA period, if work was not provided within 15 days, workers were entitled to unemployment allowance. However, the provision has now been removed, Panwar alleged. RGPRS Odisha Chairperson Sudarshan Das alleged that the central government has distorted the historic law MGNREGA and omitted the name of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, which is shameful for the entire country. Not only has the name of Mahatma Gandhi been omitted, but various provisions in the law have been removed, which is against the interest of daily labourers, he said. Earlier, the Central government was providing 90 per cent financial assistance to the state under MGNREGA, and the concerned state was bearing 10 per cent. But, now, under the VB-G RAM G, the Centre has cut down its share to 60 per cent, Das said. The Congress leaders demanded the immediate withdrawal of the new scheme and restoration of MGNREGA in its original form.

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