Karnataka Cabinet Decides To Wage A Legal Fight Against MGNREGA Repeal

BENGALURU: Karnataka government on Thursday resolved to fight the Union Government’s decision to scrap Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) legally and also in the people’s court. The cabinet asked the Advocate-General to explore options whether to move the Supreme Court or the High Court of Karnataka over scrapping of MGNREGA.

The resolution to fight repealing of MGNREGA was taken at a cabinet meeting in Bengaluru and briefing media persons about the cabinet resolve to fight repealing of MGNREGA, Minister of Law and Parliamentary Affairs H.K. Patil said “the fight is also against infringement of people’s right to work.”

Explaining the discussion at the cabinet meeting, Patil said “After 73rd amendment to the Constitution, there was decentralization of power and NREGA protected the right to work of labourers/wage earners.”

“The right to work of labourers has been snatched,” Patil said and stated under NREGA, panchayats created assets be in construction of school compound walls in a village, playground, gomala, construction of farm ponds among others will also come to a halt now with the repulsion of NREGA,” the Minister said and termed the repulsion of NREGA “a blow to decentralization of power.”

Earlier under NREGA, Patil said Panchayats had the right to decide on the work but now it has been taken away under new Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (VB-G Ram G) Act, 2025. He termed the VB-G Ram G Act “a disastrous.” Now, the Union Government decides on the work making it beneficial for the contractors.

Continuing, he said, now labourers will have to work for contractors such as National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) among others.