NPCC launches 45-day protest against move to replace MGNREGA

Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) on Thursday launched a protest campaign at Congress Bhavan, here against what it termed as attempts by the Centre to weaken and dismantle the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), a flagship rights-based rural employment programme.
Delivering keynote address, Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, MP and chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, alleged that the Centre had systematically undermined MGNREGA over the past 11 years through underfunding, delayed wage payments, non-release of material costs and policy changes that diluted its legal guarantees.
Ulaka said that during the last session of Parliament, a new Act was introduced and passed in haste without adequate discussion. He alleged that the Bill was “bulldozed” through Parliament, raising serious concerns about the government’s intent.
He said the new legislation fundamentally altered the character of MGNREGA. Highlighting the importance of MGNREGA during COVID-19 pandemic, Ulaka said the scheme acted as a lifeline for rural India by preventing distress migration and preserving the dignity and livelihoods of the poor.
He said lakhs of people who returned to their villages during the pandemic survived because of MGNREGA. Since its launch under the UPA government, he said the scheme has generated nearly 180 crore person-days of employment and has been acknowledged by multiple reports.
Referring specifically to Nagaland, Ulaka alleged that the state continued to suffer from some of the lowest MGNREGA wage rates in the country at Rs 241 per day. He claimed that around Rs 103 crore in material costs had remained unpaid by the Centre for the past nine months and that wage payments amounting to around Rs 30 lakh had been pending for nearly a year.
Questioning the silence of the state government, he pointed out that Nagaland was governed by a “double-engine” NDPP-BJP alliance.
Further, Ulaka alleged that the Centre has not revised MGNREGA wages in line with inflation, delayed payments and has consistently underfunded the programme. He said that even when allocations are made, nearly 27 per cent of the budget was used to clear pending liabilities, leaving insufficient funds for fresh employment.
Ulaka warned that the new policy framework seeks to convert MGNREGA from a legal guarantee into a discretionary, centrally sponsored scheme.
He alleged that the Centre now proposes to bear only 60 per cent of the wage cost, shifting 40 per cent to the states, many of which may not be financially equipped to shoulder the burden. This, he said, would allow states to deny work, thereby eroding the legal right to employment.
Raising concerns over wage determination, Ulaka alleged that the Centre now seeks to arbitrarily decide wage rates. He described the changes as an attack on the Panchayati Raj system and the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments.
Criticising the renaming of the scheme, Ulaka said that it undermined Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of Gram Swaraj and village-centric development.
Announcing a nationwide 45-day protest campaign beginning from Nagaland, Ulaka said the movement would include district-level press conferences starting January 10, symbolic one-day fasts from January 11, panchayat-level outreach programmes from January 12 to 29, district-level “MGNREGA Bachao Dharnas” from January 31 to February 6, and Vidhan Sabha-level gheraos from February 7 to 15. He said memoranda would be submitted to district collectors and awareness letters from Congress leaders would be distributed to gram sevaks, village councils and MGNREGA workers.
Addressing the gathering, NPCC president and Lok Sabha Member of Parliament, S. Supongmeren Jamir said Congress has always stood for the rights and upliftment of the poor and needy.
He also accused the BJP-led government of contradicting itself on MGNREGA, noting that while it has acknowledged the scheme’s role in reducing poverty—from 27.1 per cent to 5.7 per cent—it has simultaneously alleged misuse and sought to alter its structure.
Further, Jamir alleged that since 2012-13, misappropriation under the scheme amounting to over Rs 193 crore had been accounted for. He accused the ruling party of attempting to confuse the public by misrepresenting data and policy changes.
The programme was chaired by NPCC working president Khriedi Theunuo, while the vote of thanks was proposed by NPCC working president C. Apok Jamir. The protest witnessed participation of senior NPCC leaders, party workers and supporters, who described MGNREGA as a crucial social safety net for rural India.