District Congress’s padayatra against VB-G RAM G Act culminates at Mulky

The Dakshina Kannada District Congress Committee’s 100-kilometre-long padayatra, demanding the repeal of the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act and restoration of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), culminated at Mulky on Thursday, February 12, evening. The padayatra started from Sullia on Monday, February 9.

V.S. Ugrappa, former MP, was among the Congress leaders who took part in the function held to culminate the 100-day-long padayatra.

On Thursday morning, a group of Congress party activists launched the Mangaluru leg of the padayatra, starting at the Mahatma Gandhi statue at Lalbagh circle in Mangaluru.

Addressing the activists, before the commencement of the Mangaluru leg of the padayatra, former minister Vinay Kumar Sorake said the Centre will take total control over the works being taken up under the VB-G RAM G Act, and the gram panchayat will have no say in it. With the new legislation, the Centre has reduced its share of contribution to 60% and raised the share of the State to 40%. The new legislation will take away the benefits that the earlier MGNREGA scheme provided to the rural folk, Mr. Sorake alleged.

Mr. Sorake joined K. Harish Kumar, District Congress President; Ivan D’Souza, MLC and other Congress activists in the padayatra. An activist dressed as Mahatma Gandhi participated in a tableau while spinning the charkha. In another tableau, a group of women Congress members, including former MCC councillor Appi, donned costumes depicting the rural workforce. A group of labourers holding the sickle and other agricultural tools also joined the padayatra.