Vinay Kumar Announces Statewide Awareness Drive Against Centre’s Dilution and Renaming of MGNREGA

State Congress President Vinay Kumar has stated that a statewide public awareness campaign will be launched against the central government for renaming the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and weakening its core objectives. He stated that this is not merely a matter of name change, but a direct attack on the livelihoods of rural India, the rights of workers, and the spirit of social justice enshrined in the Constitution.
Vinay Kumar stated that serious concern was expressed on this issue at today’s All India Congress Working Committee meeting. Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi emphasized the need for a national campaign against this anti-people decision of the BJP government. The Congress leadership believes that the attempt to alter the structure of MNREGA and adapt it under a new name and structure is part of a policy to weaken rural employment security and benefit a select few capitalists.
The state Congress president said that the new law and framework being pushed forward will harm the backbone of the rural economy. The fundamental objectives of MNREGA—to guarantee minimum employment to rural families, curb migration, and local development—will be severely harmed by this. Congress considers this policy contrary to the spirit of the Constitution and the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi and will oppose it at every level.
Vinay Kumar stated unequivocally that in Himachal Pradesh, the struggle against this decision of the central Bharatiya Janata Party government will be waged at all three levels—organizational, mass movement, and legal. He announced that Congress workers in all the state’s panchayats will expose the flaws in the new law and bring out the true opinions of the rural population through a referendum. During this period, extensive dialogue programs will be organized, involving panchayat representatives, labor organizations, women’s groups, and youth.
He stated that Congress workers will go door-to-door to inform the public about MNREGA’s achievements, wage payments, working days, and its positive impact on local development, to expose the truth behind misleading public propaganda. The state Congress leadership will pressure the central government on this issue through statewide programs, protests, and memorandums.
Vinay Kumar said that the Congress party is committed to protecting the rights of workers, farmers and underprivileged sections of rural India and will never accept any tampering with the basic structure of MNREGA.