State Chief Keshav Mahto Demands Restoration of Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme
Key Points:
- Congress accuses BJP of systematically dismantling MGNREGA through new legislation
- VB-Gram G Act restricts work days, limits access to notified panchayats only
- Party calls for immediate restoration of MGNREGA and withdrawal of new act
JAMSHEDPUR – Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee President Keshav Mahto Kamlesh attacked the BJP government Friday at Tilak Library, Bistupur.
He accused the central government of pursuing divisive politics. The BJP takes anti-people decisions systematically, he alleged. Rural employment rights face deliberate elimination under current administration.
The Congress leader targeted Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act weakening. The government replaces MGNREGA with Viksit Bharat Rozgar scheme. VB-Gram G Act threatens rural India’s economic security fundamentally.
Mahto stated BJP stripped poor people’s legal work rights. MGNREGA provided 100-day employment guarantee after long struggles. Dalits, tribals, women and poor received economic protection previously.
The new legislation undermines these hard-won rights significantly. He listed multiple deficiencies in VB-Gram G Act provisions. Work availability becomes supply-based despite 125-day claims officially.
Limited budgets will reduce actual working days substantially. Payment delays will increase under new system constraints. Moreover, workers previously accessed employment across rural areas freely.
The new act restricts work to centrally notified panchayats. Many villages will fall outside scheme coverage consequently. Year-round employment guarantee disappears completely under new provisions.
MGNREGA supported workers during difficult agricultural seasons. VB-Gram G Act introduces 60 no-work days during sowing. Workers face forced acceptance of lower wages during harvest.
Wage certainty linked to inflation vanishes under new law. No concrete wage guarantees exist in replacement legislation. Furthermore, local needs face systematic neglect in planning.
Gram sabhas previously decided work based on village requirements. Central government will now determine all project priorities. Local development suffers from this centralized control approach.
Mandatory biometric attendance creates additional barriers for workers. Elderly and hardworking laborers may lose wages entirely. Fingerprint and photo requirements exclude vulnerable populations systematically.
Corporate interests receive priority over village essential works. National projects and highways supersede panchayat development needs. The act permits contractor involvement despite previous restrictions.
MGNREGA banned contractors to prevent corruption entirely. Their return raises serious corruption concerns among stakeholders. Congress warns these changes will deepen rural crisis.
Migration will increase from villages to cities rapidly. Bonded labor conditions may emerge among dalits and tribals. Children’s education will suffer from household economic stress.
Congress demands complete MGNREGA restoration immediately. VB-Gram G Act must be withdrawn without delay. Rural workers deserve legal work rights and fair wages.
Mahto announced Congress’s 140th foundation day celebrations December 28. Party members across Jharkhand will mark this milestone grandly. He appealed to East Singhbhum office bearers to participate.
Block presidents, mandal chiefs and panchayat heads received special instructions. BLA-2 members and front organization officials must hoist flags. Social media posts become mandatory for all participants.
The state committee supplied flags and pamphlets to districts. Office availability ensures universal participation in campaign activities. This initiative highlights Congress’s freedom struggle contributions historically.
