Congress Protests at Rajiv Bhawan Against MGNREGA Name Change

The Assam Pradesh Congress staged a protest at Rajiv Bhawan in Guwahati on Sunday, opposing the renaming of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and raising concerns over the perceived dilution of its funding structure.

During the protest, Congress workers held photos of Mahatma Gandhi, chanting slogans that the move did not merely involve a name change but amounted to “killing the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi.” They demanded that the MGNREGA name be retained instead of using the acronym VB G RAM.

The protest also highlighted concerns over the revised funding pattern under the renamed scheme. Previously, under MGNREGA, 90% of the funds were borne by the central government and 10% by the state.

The new arrangement under VB G RAM has altered the contribution ratio to 60% central and 40% state funding. The Congress argued that such a shift could hamper the effectiveness of the scheme in flood-prone states like Assam.

Prominent party leaders present at the protest included MLA Diganta Barman and AICC National Secretary Manoj Chauhan.

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