The Uttar Pradesh Congress will soon launch the ‘Save MGNREGA’ campaign in the state, and the party on Saturday appointed district-level coordinators for the purpose.
“The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is not merely a government scheme but a lifeline for millions of poor rural families, as it gives them the right to work. It serves as a strong safety net against hunger, unemployment and migration. The Congress is committed to stopping the BJP from weakening this scheme,” UP Congress president Ajay Rai said while releasing the list of district coordinators.
According to party sources, the campaign will begin in the second week of January.
Rai said MGNREGA has ensured dignified employment for Dalits, backward classes, tribals, women and landless labourers across the country. “Since the BJP came to power, changes have been introduced with the intent of gradually dismantling the scheme,” he alleged.
The list was finalised on instructions of general secretary of All-India Congress Committee and UP in-charge Avinash Pandey, and approved by state president Ajay Rai.
With the cooperation of the Congress committee district/city presidents, the coordinators will implement the campaign.
“These coordinators, along with the district organisation and senior party leaders, will carry out the action plan given by the central leadership through community meetings and other programmes,” Rai said.
“MGNREGA was conceived as a demand-driven scheme, rooted in the belief that work is worship and labour is God. However, the BJP government has reduced it to a mere wage-distribution programme, stripping labourers of their right to demand employment. The Congress will strongly oppose this move,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}“MGNREGA was conceived as a demand-driven scheme, rooted in the belief that work is worship and labour is God. However, the BJP government has reduced it to a mere wage-distribution programme, stripping labourers of their right to demand employment. The Congress will strongly oppose this move,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai has written to chief minister Yogi Adityanath, alleging that the proposed auction of the Rifle Club ground in Banda city would deprive children of a crucial playground.
““The Rifle Club ground in Banda plays a significant role in the physical and mental development of children and youth. The Banda Development Authority has issued an advertisement to auction the ground. This move should be stopped immediately in the larger public interest and for the healthy future of children,” Rai said in the letter sent on Saturday.
The UP Congress Committee members on Saturday paid tributes to Savitribai Phule, India’s first female teacher and a pioneer of women’s empowerment, on her birth anniversary.
Former vice-president of UP Congress Committee Dinesh Kumar Singh said Savitribai Phule ignited the flame of education at a time when women and Dalits were denied the right to education. “She fought against social evils, caste discrimination, and gender inequality, making education the most powerful tool for social change,” he added.