Congress takes out march to condemn Union government for diluting MGNREGA

The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) on Thursday took out a march at Tambaram in Chennai condemning the BJP-led government at the Centre for diluting the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

The march started near the Kamarajar statue on Bharatha Matha Salai in East Tambaram and passed through Velachery-Tambaram Main Road, Tambaram-Mudichur Road, and concluded at Muthuranga Park in West Tambaram, where the Congress leaders paid respects to a statue of Mahatma Gandhi. TNCC president K. Selvaperunthagai, Congress leader and Deputy Chief Minister of Telangana Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Tamil Nadu Congress Legislative Party leader S. Rajeshkumar, All India Congress Committee secretaries Suraj M.N. Hegde and Nivedith Alva, and Congress MLAs were among those who participated.

Later, while speaking at a meeting, Mr. Selvaperunthagai said Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had expressed concerns about the dilution of MGNREGA, both inside and outside Parliament. In the name of increasing the number of working days under the new scheme (VB–G RAM G), the Centre had increased the financial share of the States. The MGNREGA was hailed by several world leaders and international institutions. The TNCC will not stop until the Centre withdraws the new Act, like how it withdrew the three farm laws after consistent protests, Mr. Selvaperunthagai added.

Mr. Vikramarka said the march was organised not for the party but for the agricultural labourers. He said after understanding the sufferings of agricultural labourers and the unemployed, the United Progressive Alliance government brought out the MGNREGA, which was a silent revolution.

“In an attempt to nullify the Act and by removing the name of Mahatma, the BJP-led government at the Centre removed the atma of the scheme,” he alleged.

Congress workers from Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts participated in the march. Traffic was thrown out of gear for sometime on the arterial Velachery-Tambaram Road.