Congress plans ‘MGNREGA Protection Yatra’ in Andhra Pradesh from February 2

Demanding immediate withdrawal of the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-GRAM G) Act, 2025, Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Y.S. Sharmila on Thursday said that a ‘Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) Protection Yatra’ will be launched across the State from February 2.

Addressing the media at Andhra Ratna Bhavan, Ms. Sharmila said the MGNREGA Protection Yatra will be launched at Bandlapalli in Anantapur district, where the scheme was launched by the then Congress governments 20 years ago.

Ms. Sharmila said MGNREGA was a globally admired as a rights-based employment guarantee programme, in which Andhra Pradesh played a pioneering role.

The scheme empowered labourers by eliminating middlemen, ensuring direct wage payments, social audits, Gram Sabha control, and guaranteed work.

She said currently, 91.44 lakh workers were active under the scheme in the State.

She faulted the NDA government for removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the scheme and alleged that the new Act was anti-worker.

“Unlike MGNREGA, VB-G RAM G is not demand-based, limits work to notified villages, removes minimum wage guarantees and social audits, encourages contractor dominance and shifts 40% of funding responsibility to States, placing a heavy financial burden on the latter,” she said.

She warned that the new scheme would reduce workdays, increase unemployment, force migration and erode rural self-governance.

She criticised Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for supporting the G RAM G Act, despite its ‘negative impact on the State’.