Congress Announces 'Save MGNREGA Campaign' From January 8, Programs from Village to State Level Until February 25

Congress Party's National President Mallikarjun Kharge posted on his X handle: "The Indian National Congress has clearly and explicitly put forward three demands—

Withdraw the VB GRAM G Act.

Restore MGNREGA as a rights-based law.

Restore the right to work and the rights of panchayats.That is why we have launched the nationwide 'Save MGNREGA Campaign'—

MGNREGA is not charity. It is a legal guarantee. Crores of poor people got employment in their villages; MGNREGA reduced hunger and forced migration, increased rural wages, and strengthened the economic dignity of women."

Kharge further said, "The VB GRAM G Act has been created to end this right.

Congress opposes it because—

Work will no longer be a guaranteed right everywhere; it will only be permitted in selected panchayats.

Budgets will be limited, so even in times of crisis, work will end once funds run out.

The central government in Delhi will decide funds and works, making gram sabhas and panchayats irrelevant.

A 60-day work blackout will legally recognize denial of work during peak crisis periods.

Wages will become insecure and suppressible; it will no longer be a protected right.

States will have to provide 40 percent funding, weakening federalism and harming poor states.

Workers will be excluded through technologies like biometrics and app-based barriers.

Contractor-style projects will replace village assets.

Attacking MGNREGA is an attack on crores of workers and their constitutional rights. We will peacefully and firmly oppose it from every panchayat to Parliament.

"Objective of the 'Campaign' is to Restore MGNREGA

The Congress Party says that the purpose of this 'campaign' is to restore the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and withdraw the new law.

Addressing the press, party General Secretary Jairam Ramesh alleged that under the 'Viksit Bharat-G RAM G Act' created in place of MGNREGA, only "Destruction India" and centralization of the scheme are guaranteed.

He said that the 'Save MGNREGA Campaign' is not Delhi-centered but focused on panchayats, blocks, and districts. He also said that the new law will be challenged in court.

The decision to launch a campaign in favor of MGNREGA was taken in the meeting of the party's top policy-making unit, the Congress Working Committee (CWC), on December 27.

He claimed that the new law has been designed to eliminate MGNREGA.

Venugopal said that during COVID and several other crises, MGNREGA emerged as a major safety shield. According to him, under the 'Viksit Bharat-G RAM G Act', everything will be decided by the central government, and villagers will bear the brunt.

Venugopal said that under the new law, work days have been increased from 100 to 125, but this claim is nonsense because the central share of funding has been reduced from 90 percent to 60 percent.

Jairam Ramesh said that this 'campaign' will start on January 8 and run until February 25. He said that the only guarantee of the G RAM G Act is centralization of the scheme.

Ramesh said, "Our only demand is that MGNREGA be restored and the new law be withdrawn."

He said that other opposition parties and social organizations will be involved in this 'campaign'.

Ramesh claimed that the outcome of this campaign will be the same as the success of the movement against the three "black" farm laws, when the government had to withdraw those laws.

Amid opposition uproar, Parliament approved the 'Viksit Bharat-G RAM G Bill, 2025' on December 18. After President Draupadi Murmu's signature, it has now become an Act. It will replace the 20-year-old MGNREGA.