Tripura Pradesh Congress launches Lok Bhawan Abhiyan protesting Centre’s move to rename MGNREGA. PCC leaders allege attack on rural employment rights and accus e Modi government of weakening the flagship rural job guarantee scheme across India.
The Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee on Tuesday launched a protest march titled “Lok Bhawan Abhiyan” opposing the Centre’s reported move to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). The party accused the Modi-led government of attempting to dilute and weaken one of India’s most significant rural employment schemes.
Led by PCC president Ashish Kumar Saha and senior leader Birjit Sinha, Congress workers and supporters marched towards Lok Bhawan, demanding the reinstatement and protection of MGNREGA in its original form. The protest was part of what the party described as a nationwide campaign to safeguard rural employment rights.
Addressing the gathering, Saha alleged that the Centre’s decision to rename MGNREGA is not merely administrative but politically motivated. “The government at the Centre is trying to snatch the rights of poor people in villages by renaming the MGNREGA scheme under a new structure,” he said. He further argued that the scheme represents a legal guarantee of employment for rural households and should not be tampered with for political gains.
MGNREGA, enacted in 2005, guarantees 100 days of wage employment annually to rural households willing to undertake unskilled manual work. Over the years, it has become a crucial safety net for millions of rural families, particularly during times of economic distress and natural calamities.
PCC spokesperson Prabir Chakraborty criticized the Centre, calling the move “one of the biggest economic attacks on rural India.” He alleged that altering the scheme’s identity could weaken its legal and constitutional safeguards, thereby affecting transparency and accountability mechanisms.
The Congress leaders claimed that any dilution of MGNREGA would directly impact rural livelihoods, especially marginal farmers, daily wage laborers, and economically vulnerable communities. They demanded that the Centre clarify its intentions and ensure that the scheme’s core objectives remain intact.
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The protest concluded with a memorandum submitted to authorities, reiterating the party’s demand for the full protection of MGNREGA and urging the government to prioritize rural employment over political rebranding. The Congress has indicated that further demonstrations may follow if their demands are not addressed.
