Haryana LoP Bhupinder Hooda leads protest against changes in MGNREGA
Says party with workers
Former Haryana Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Hooda led a dharna protest organised by the party workers and leaders in Rohtak in protest against G-RAM-G Act. He said the Congress is committed to fighting against the dilution of MGNREGA.
Reacting to the changes made in MGNREGA, Hooda alleged the BJP government had attacked the rights of Dalits, backward classes, the poor, villagers and panchayats. “The Congress stands firmly with the MGNREGA workers and is running a campaign across the country to protect their employment,” he added.
The former CM said the BJP government started weakening MGNREGA as soon as it came to power. “An answer to a question asked by the Congress in Parliament revealed that more than 8 lakh MGNREGA workers were registered in Haryana. But in 2024-25, the government provided 100 days of work to only 2,100 families. The government neither provided work to the labourers nor gave them compensation as per the provisions of the scheme,” he said.
Hooda said the MGNREGA, introduced by the Congress Government, was meant to further Mahatma Gandhi's Gram Swaraj campaign.
“The budget for this scheme was determined based on demand, and there was no limit to the budget under this law. All the states and districts were required to provide work to all those who demanded it. It was the responsibility of the Central government to release the budget for all these workers, but now, that budget has been divided between the Central and state governments in such a way that its allocation has become difficult,” he noted.
Congress MLAs BB Batra, Shakuntala Khatak and Balram Dangi, former minister Subhash Batra, district unit presidents Kuldeep KD and Balwan Ranga, former MLA Sant Kumar and Chakravarti Sharma were among those present on the occasion.
