Skip to main content

Concerns raised over move to rename MGNREGA, critics call it politically motivated

By A Representative 
Concerns have been raised over the Union government’s reported move to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), with critics describing it as a politically motivated step rather than an administrative reform. They argue that the proposed change undermines the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and seeks to appropriate credit for a programme whose relevance has been repeatedly demonstrated, particularly during times of crisis.
Observers point out that the scheme, which provides a legal guarantee of employment to rural households, proved crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic when millions of migrant workers returned to their villages and depended on it for survival. Despite earlier criticism of the programme by sections of the ruling establishment, MGNREGA functioned as a safety net for rural India during this period.
Questions have also been raised about funding trends, especially by the Socialist Party (India) in a statement issued by its national spokesperson, Basant Hetamsaria. After reaching a high of Rs. 1.11 lakh crore in 2020–21 during the pandemic, allocations have since declined to around Rs. 86,000 crore, even as demand for work under the scheme remains significant. In addition, several states, including West Bengal, have complained that pending central funds have not been released for extended periods, affecting employment opportunities and wage payments for rural workers.
Critics contend that MGNREGA represents core Gandhian values such as the right to work, dignity of labour and social justice, and that altering its name distracts from more pressing issues. They have urged the government to focus instead on addressing states’ grievances, ensuring timely fund releases, increasing wages, expanding the number of guaranteed workdays and providing stable budgetary support. They called on the government to strengthen rather than dilute the scheme.

Comments

Post a Comment

NOTE: Hateful, abusive comments won't be published. -- Editor

TRENDING

The 'Dr' debate masks a larger crisis in allied-health education

By Dr P K Gupta*  India’s allied-health professions have long operated in a fragmented landscape of universities, hospitals, State authorities and private institutions, each with its own nomenclature, curriculum and standards. The National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Act, 2021 was meant to correct this by creating a unified national framework for education, professional regulation and institutional recognition. Few dispute the need for such oversight. The real question is whether standardisation is quietly becoming synonymous with longer courses, additional internships and new professional titles—changes that risk masking deeper gaps in clinical training, institutional capacity and affordability.
3 comments
»

Arrival of USS Lincoln: A ‘leisure trip’ to Thailand or a neo-colonial move to commodify women?

By Benyasiri Eimviriyapong   The arrival of the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) for a ‘leisure trip’ in Thailand before returning to its campaign of destruction against the people of West Asia demands immediate interrogation and opposition. For us Thai people, and those in sites of American plunder across the globe, this a rattling of the US’ cold war colonial chains on its most loyal lap dog, while conducting a war of aggression in Iran and the ongoing genocide in Palestine. In allowing the USS Lincoln to dock, the Thai ruling elites are once again facilitating a system of imperial violence that extends far beyond Southeast Asian borders, a system which in our case, is predicated on sexual violence and femicide.
2 comments
»

Pilgrimage or pollution? The waste crisis of Indian faith

By Raj Kumar Sinha*  In today's times, there are certain issues that are constantly talked about and discussed, yet no visible impact seems to be made. Beyond water, soil, and pollution, one crisis that continues to be overlooked is waste. Like other life-threatening problems, waste too is gradually moving toward burying and obliterating us. After the Kanwar Yatra in Haridwar, approximately 8,000 tonnes of waste were left behind on the riverbanks, including bottles filled with urine. 
Post a Comment
»