INTUC Condemns NDA Curbs on MGNREGA

Hyderabad: Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) president Dr G. Sanjeeva Reddy on Tuesday condemned the NDA government’s ongoing attempts to weaken the MGNREGA through budget ceilings, expenditure caps and policy changes that have converted a rights-based, demand-driven guarantee into a supply-limited, fund-starved programme.

These measures directly contradicted the spirit of the MGNREGA, which had guaranteed at least 100 days of employment to every rural household seeking work, said Dr Sanjeeva Reddy.

The INTUC and the Agriculture Workers Trade Union Congress demanded the Central government's immediate withdrawal of all measures that cap or curtail MGNREGA funds, restoration of the full, demand-driven employment guarantee with timely payment of wages. They also demanded compensation for delays and expansion of the programme to provide more days of work in times of rural distress.

As part of this nationwide campaign, the Intuc will hold a protest rally at Dharna Chowk on January 3, to protest the Centre’s assault on MGNREGA and to demand the full restoration of workers’ rights under the Act.

G. Sathyajeeth Reddy, ILO governing body member; B. Janakprasad, minimum wage board chairman; M.B. Vijaykumar Yadav and K. Jagan Mohan Reddy, state vice-presidents, INTUC, were present in the meeting.