Agartala, December 21:
Along with the rest of Tripura, the opposition Congress on Sunday staged a protest in the state capital Agartala against the Centre’s decision to replace the 20-year-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), or VB-G RAM-G.
During the protest, Congress workers carrying banners, placards and party flags marched through the main roads of Agartala, raising slogans against the new Act and demanding the continuation of MGNREGA.
The demonstrators later burned an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Speaking to reporters, senior Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman strongly criticised the BJP-led NDA government, alleging that the new Bill was pushed through Parliament without considering the sentiments of millions who have benefited from the UPA-era MGNREGA.
“The pujari (followers) of Nathuram Godse have once again murdered Mahatma Gandhi by repealing the MGNREGA Act and bringing in a new Act in the name of VB-G RAM-G. On January 30, 1948, RSS ideology followers killed Mahatma Gandhi in Delhi, and in this Parliament session, by repealing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, they have again killed Mahatma Gandhi in Delhi,” Roy Barman alleged.
Clarifying the party’s stand, the former Minister said the Congress was not opposed to change in name, asserting that Mahatma Gandhi lives in the hearts of common people and cannot be erased. However, he expressed serious concern that the new legislation had curtailed the rights of MGNREGA workers.
By the new law not only has the name of the Father of the Nation been erased, but the rights of crores of job card holders have also been taken away claimed Roy Barman claimed.
He further alleged that the promise of providing 125 days of work under the new scheme was an “eyewash”, as the central allocation for the programme has been reduced.
Drawing a comparison, Roy Barman pointed out that under MGNREGA, the Centre-State funding ratio was 90:10, whereas the new Act mandates a 60:40 ratio.
“This will significantly increase the financial burden on states, many of which are already facing a severe fiscal crunch. As a result, rural people will get less work, further weakening the rural economy,” he said.
The Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill was passed by Parliament on Thursday, paving the way for the replacement of the MGNREGA.
