Nagaland: Dimapur Congress launches 45-day MGNREGA Bachao Sangram against new rural bill

Dimapur: Dimapur District Congress Committee president Kutoho Chishi on Saturday said the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) Bachao Sangram campaign aims to expose the adverse impact of the VB-GRAM-G Bill on rural employment, income security, and socio-economic stability across Nagaland and the country.

Addressing a press conference at Congress Bhavan, Dimapur, to mark the formal launch of the 45-day campaign on January 8, Chishi said the recently proposed VB-GRAM-G Bill threatens to dismantle the core principles of MGNREGA, endangering rural employment and livelihoods by potentially limiting job guarantees, reducing funding, or altering implementation in ways that could exclude vulnerable sections.

He said the campaign aims to mobilise public opinion and sensitise the media about the importance of preserving MGNREGA in its original form to protect the right to work, as enshrined in constitutional values.

He further said it also aims to advocate for the withdrawal of the VB-GRAM-G Bill and the restoration of MGNREGA's original provisions to ensure uninterrupted employment opportunities for rural workers.

Chishi said that during these 45 days, the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee will hold peaceful and non-violent protests across the state using constitutional methods to express dissent and demand accountability from policymakers.

The district Congress appealed to the government to reconsider the implications of the VB-GRAM-G Bill and engage in dialogue with stakeholders to safeguard the interests of rural workers.

It also called upon the people of Dimapur, civil society organisations, and all concerned citizens to join the upcoming programmes, including panchayat-level outreach, ward-level sit-ins on Martyrs' Day, and district-level dharnas from January 31 to February 6, to protect MGNREGA and uphold the dignity of labour.