Marching for Rights: Congress's Battle to Save MGNREGA

Congress led a foot march to protest the BJP-led government's new law affecting the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA). The party claims the new law undermines rural employment by shifting financial burdens to states, risking the scheme's closure.

The Congress party staged a significant foot march on Friday as part of its 'MNREGA Bachao Sangram' initiative, challenging the BJP-led Union government's new law, which they argue is undermining the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA).

State Congress president Deepak Baij spearheaded the protest rally, which commenced at Mata Kaushalya Dham in Chandkhuri and concluded at the old State Assembly building, covering a distance of approximately 15 kilometers. The rally is part of a broader nationwide campaign running from January 10 to February 25, demanding the repeal of the new law and the restoration of MNREGA.

Baij criticized the Centre, suggesting that modifying or repealing MNREGA would cause profound livelihood challenges in rural areas. He argued that the new financial model of the G RAM G Act imposes undue fiscal pressures on states, threatening the continuity of the employment guarantee scheme.

(With inputs from agencies.)