Prime Minister Narendra Modi destroyed MGNREGA by stripping workers of their right to negotiate daily wages, panchayats of their power, states of their authority and centralising it in Delhi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi claimed on Tuesday in a video he posted on X.
In the video, Gandhi was seen seated among workers from across the country. He said that with the VB-G RAM G Act, 2025, which replaced MGNREGA, the government wanted “to push the country back to the era of kings and maharajas, where all power and wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few.”
In the video, women from various states shared that steady employment allowed them to live with dignity and rights. A young woman from Meghalaya shared that the MGNREGA scheme helped create rural infrastructure and livelihood security for locals. “Family members do not need to shift to other areas to search for low-paid work,” she added.
Sandeep, a worker from Jharkhand, shared how equal opportunity allowed villagers to transgress caste and religious barriers and work together. He also highlighted how the scheme helped workers send their children to school and access healthcare.
Norti Bai, a resident of Ajmer, recalls her participation in the struggle for passing the MGNREGA scheme as a law by the Supreme Court and protesting on footpaths. “Today, the government has removed that law in one push.” Later in the video, she raises the question of where the 36 crore people who were benefited by MGNREGA were to go for their livelihood.
{{/usCountry}}Norti Bai, a resident of Ajmer, recalls her participation in the struggle for passing the MGNREGA scheme as a law by the Supreme Court and protesting on footpaths. “Today, the government has removed that law in one push.” Later in the video, she raises the question of where the 36 crore people who were benefited by MGNREGA were to go for their livelihood.
{{/usCountry}}Another worker, sharing her experience as a widow, said that many women like her were dependent on the scheme for employment. “Now our rights have been taken away, and we cannot find work,” she added.
Many workers also highlighted the increase in work timings from 8 to 12 hours, leaving them little time to care for their children. They also shared experiencing loss in attendance in the National Mobile Monitoring System due to poor network connectivity.
The government led by rural development minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan has consistently rejected the Congress’ charge against G RAM G, pointing out that the government had in fact increased the number of days of guaranteed employment from 100 to 125, incorporating the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 with rural development.