Agartala: The Tripura Pradesh Congress on Tuesday submitted a memorandum to the Governor opposing the repeal and restructuring of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and demanding its restoration in what it described as its “original right-based form.”
The party organised a “Lok Bhavan March” in Agartala as part of the protest. The rally was stopped by security personnel near the Circuit House, officials said. A delegation of party leaders later proceeded to Raj Bhavan and handed over the memorandum.
Addressing the gathering, PCC president Asish Kumar Saha and AICC invitee member and MLA Sudip Roy Barman outlined the party’s objections to the newly enacted legislation, referred to in the memorandum as the VB-GRAM-G Act.
In the memorandum, the Congress stated, “The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) has been the cornerstone of rural livelihood security, providing employment to 5–6 crore families annually.”
It further said that the Act had “reduced distress migration” and “increased rural wages,” adding that direct bank payments benefited “particularly women, Dalits, Adivasis, and marginalized communities, with women accounting for nearly 60% of total workdays.”
The party recalled that the Act, enacted in 2005, was “a right-based law that guaranteed every rural household the legal right to demand wage employment,” and that the state government was required to provide work within 15 days of demand, failing which unemployment allowance was payable.
Expressing concern over the new legislation, the memorandum stated, “The new Act removes the legal guarantee of work, centralizes decision-making power with the Union Government, reduces the power of the State Government, and weakens Panchayats.” It also alleged that “the new Act reduces the Union Government’s wage contribution from 90% to 60%, thereby shifting the financial burden onto States and workers.”
The party further claimed that “budget-capped allocations, restrictions on work during agricultural seasons, and dilution of wage safeguards will inevitably lead to reduced employment, suppressed wages, and increased rural distress.”
It also objected to the removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the scheme, stating that it reflected an attempt to dilute the values underpinning the original legislation.
The memorandum said the Congress had opposed the Bill in Parliament, but it was passed and enacted. It informed the Governor that the Congress Working Committee had resolved to launch a nationwide movement titled “MGNREGA Bachao Sangram” to defend the right to work.
The party urged the Governor to take necessary steps in the matter, submitting the memorandum “for your kind perusal and necessary action.”