‘16.12 Cr People Lost Their Jobs’: Siddaramiah At ‘MGNREGA Bachao’ Protest

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramiah on Monday expressed serious concern over the impact of discontinuation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme, claiming that nearly 16.12 crore people have lost their jobs, of whom 53 per cent are women and 28 per cent belong to the Scheduled Castes community.

Addressing the “MGNREGA Bachao” protest in Chikkaballapur, the Chief Minister emphasised that the scheme had earlier guaranteed 100 days of wage employment to rural labourers and supported the operations of Gram Panchayats.

He alleged that the discontinuation of MGNREGA has adversely affected rural livelihoods and left Gram Panchayats without adequate work. Stressing the importance of the scheme, Siddaramaiah said that protecting it has become extremely essential to safeguard the right to employment of rural workers.

The Chief Minister demanded that the current framework replacing MGNREGA be completely halted and the original scheme be reinstated, restoring what he termed as the people’s right to guaranteed employment.

Furthermore, he urged the government to fix a minimum wage of Rs 400 per day under the scheme. Siddaramaiah also asserted that the protest would continue until MGNREGA is fully restored and employment security for rural workers is ensured.

Many Congress leaders across the country are demanding the restoration of the MGNREGA Act.

In Jammu district, for instance, party leaders staged a protest against the discontinuation of the Act, labelling it a “BJP conspiracy.” The demonstration was led by Congress MP Dr. Syed Naseer, who accused the ruling party of undermining the employment rights of rural workers.

Speaking to the media, Naseer emphasised that the protest is a move to safeguard the right to work for labourers.

“This protest is being held against the BJP’s conspiracy of ending the MGNREGA and to protect the right to work given to the labourers,” he stated.

He emphasised that the demonstration aimed to safeguard the livelihoods of rural residents who depend on guaranteed employment.

Meanwhile, the protests against the discontinuation of MGNREGA began after Parliament passed the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act during the Winter Session. This new legislation replaced the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act as India’s flagship rural employment scheme.

While the Act increases guaranteed workdays from 100 to 125, the Opposition has criticised the move for removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name and altering the 60:40 funding share between the Centre and states.

As a result, Congress has been organising nationwide protests against these changes.

On February 17, Uttar Pradesh Congress President Ajay Rai announced that the party workers will lay a siege to the State Assembly to raise issues such as the renaming of the Act and market demolitions.

Speaking to ANI, Rai said that the party workers have come from all parts of the state, and will lay a siege together at the Legislative Assembly.

“Our workers have come from different districts… Everyone has been sleeping in the State Committee office all night, including me… workers from all over the state. We will lay siege to the assembly in large numbers today. the workers’ wages that the government has withheld for the past 11-12 months, the government’s plan to scrap MGNREGA, the insult to women, workers, Shankaracharya, and Mata Ahilyabai Holkar, demolishing markets, ruining markets like the Dal Mandi… And then give all the land to the people from Gujarat… We will lay siege to the assembly on all these issues and will oppose it strongly…” he stated. (ANI)