MGNREGA was transformative law, its substitute a flaw: Congress
The Hindu
Congress criticizes the Modi government's new scheme as a flawed replacement for MGNREGA, undermining rural employment rights.
Hitting out at the Modi government, the Congress on Monday (February 2, 2026) said MGNREGA was a transformative law while the new scheme brought by the Centre that "bulldozed it away" is a "flaw".
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said exactly 20 years ago today, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) was launched at Badnapalli village in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh.
"Over the years, it has provided 180 crore days of work to rural households (especially women), created an estimated 10 crore community assets, significantly reduced distress migration, empowered gram panchayats, and decisively increased the bargaining power of the rural poor for higher wages," Mr. Ramesh said on X.
It also launched the direct benefit transfer initiative to credit wages directly into bank and post office accounts, he said.
Individual small and marginal farmers were able to establish irrigation facilities like digging wells on their own lands, the Congress leader said.
MGNREGA was a demand-based legal guarantee and not just an administrative promise, Mr. Ramesh asserted.
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