MGNREGA Workers Rally Against VB-GRAM G Act: A Call for Employment Rights Restoration

Thousands of MGNREGA workers in Karnataka have taken their grievances to the President of India, urging the rollback of the newly enacted VB-GRAM G Act. This call comes from a gathering of over 10,000 workers at Freedom Park, Bengaluru. The MGNREGA Protection Coalition has sent a memorandum highlighting their concerns.

The coalition insists that the original MGNREGA law fostered local employment and environmental conservation, and its repeal undermines these benefits. They underscore a legacy of delayed payments and excessive digitization issues. Over 26 crore workers are registered under MGNREGA nationwide, with Karnataka accounting for 1.79 crore.

The new VB-GRAM G Act is criticized for shifting financial responsibility to states while bypassing prior consultation. It centralizes decision-making on work allocation, potentially exacerbating corruption and bureaucracy. Workers demand increased employment days and higher wages, unaddressed by the current administration.