Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah Announces Special Session for MGNREGA Re-Implementation

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has announced a special session of the state legislature to demand the re-implementation of MGNREGA. This decision follows protests against the new VB-G RAM G Act, which replaces MGNREGA.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced plans for a special legislative session to demand the reinstatement of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). This decision was made during a meeting with Congress legislators, including Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, to discuss the nationwide Save MGNREGA movement organised by the All India Congress Committee (AICC).

The state Cabinet has decided not to accept the newly enacted Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Gramin (VB-G RAM G) Act, which replaces MGNREGA. Instead, they plan to challenge it legally. Siddaramaiah's office confirmed that a resolution will be passed in the upcoming special session to demand MGNREGA's re-implementation.

Protests and Padayatras Planned

Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar mentioned that the special legislative session would last two days. He also announced that protests would occur at gram panchayat, taluk, and district levels. "We will hold a 5 km padayatra in each taluk from January 26 to February 2," he stated, adding that national leaders would join these marches.

Siddaramaiah criticised the central government for removing Mahatma Gandhi's name from the scheme. "By doing this, Gandhi has been killed once again," he claimed, attributing this action to lessons taught by the Sangh Parivar. He called for intensified efforts against what he termed as an injustice to millions of Dalits.

Employment Rights and Economic Empowerment

The MGNREGA was designed to provide rural employment opportunities for Dalits, women, and farmers. It offered 100 days of work annually. However, Siddaramaiah accused the central government of undermining this initiative by replacing it with VB-G RAM G Act. "Our struggle must be intensified," he urged, emphasising the need to teach a lesson to those who have taken away employment rights.

Siddaramaiah stressed the importance of creating awareness about the issue among people. He urged gram panchayat members and MLAs to engage with those working under MGNREGA. "An environment needs to be created where our struggle develops into a mass movement," he said, criticising the cancellation of a programme implemented by the Congress government as unconstitutional.

The Congress party has demanded that the Centre scrap VB-G RAM G Act and restore MGNREGA. The Chief Minister reiterated that every effort should be made to ensure that employment rights are not taken away from the poor. The Sangh Parivar cannot tolerate economic empowerment among the poor, he alleged.

With inputs from PTI