Congress plans passing MGNREGA resolutions in gram sabhas; to launch ‘Kaam Maango Abhiyan’

Between January 12 and 29, the party is planning a variety of programmes seeking restoration of the UPA-era rural employment guarantee scheme

New Delhi: Stepping up its protest against the VB-G RAM G Act, the Congress is planning to get a resolution seeking restoration of the MGNREGA, the UPA-era rural employment guarantee scheme, passed at meetings of 'gram sabhas' to be held around January 26, besides launching a 'Kaam Maango Abhiyan' by rural folk as part of its protest programmes.

With its 'MGNREGA Bachao Sangram' starting on January 10, the party is also circulating talking points on the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in a "before-after" format to its grassroot-level leaders as well as text for pamphlets to be translated into local languages.

Between January 12 and 29, the Congress is planning a variety of programmes, including playing a video message of Sonia Gandhi to MGNREGA workers, distribution of letters by Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi to MGNREGA workers and others and wall painting of slogans, among others.

The party's coordination committee has designed various programmes to be unveiled between January 12 and 29 and it includes 'Kaam Maango Abhiyan' (seek work campaign), whose contours will be shared by the panel later, sources said. The Congress has been criticising that the demand-driven MGNREGA has been replaced by supply-driven VB-G RAM G Act.

Village-level 'Prabhat Pheri' with slogans in support of the MGNREGA, sending signed postcards by MGNREGA workers to the President demanding restoration of the MGNREGA are among other programmes planned.

The contours of the 45-day nationwide protest were discussed at a meeting of the Ajay Maken-led coordination committee to monitor the implementation of the 'MGNREGA Bachao Sangram'. The Congress Working Committee on December 27 decided to launch the protest programme, which was announced last Saturday.

Sources said the panel has shared a draft resolution against the "demolition of MGNREGA", which is being distributed among block and panchayat-level Congress functionaries so that it be brought for discussion and adoption by each gram sabha on January 26.

The draft resolution read that the gram sabhas reiterate the "support for the constitutional right to work" and "demand the restoration" of the MGNREGA. 

"We demand the restoration of the people’s legal guarantee to get work on demand, the right to seek work at any point in the year, the pan-India nature of MGNREGA, and the gram panchayat’s right to choose and plan work," it said.  

Congress managers are designing the campaign around right to work and wages being stolen, gram panchayat's powers being handed over to contractors, and undermining and burdening State finances.

They will also seek to show the Modi government's "track record" and the "dangers" in the new rural employment guarantee law.

The pamphlet that is being prepared by State units will explain "your MGNREGA rights" and "Modi government's changes" besides sharing a mobile number and a QR code to help people join the movement.