6 months ago
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Noted economist and 1 of the architects of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Jean Dreze, connected Wednesday (January 7, 2026) alleged that the Central authorities “wants to decorativeness the employment warrant strategy done its caller strategy VB G-Ram-G” and demanded that “until the authorities rolls backmost the caller scheme, the MGNREGA is successful beingness and should supply jobs”.
“The government, alternatively of MGNREGA, has brought successful a caller strategy VB G-Ram-G which volition weaken the employment warrant to those who privation work. Eventually, the authorities would decorativeness disconnected the MGNREGA for which we had fought a agelong conflict and which came into effect successful 2005. One much thing, until the caller authorities strategy comes in, MGNREGA is inactive successful beingness and jobs should beryllium provided nether it,” Mr. Dreze said portion addressing an MGNREGA workers’ sit-in protestation extracurricular the District Magistrate’s bureau successful northbound Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district. The sit-in protestation to “save MGNREGA” has been going connected for the past six days.
Mr. Dreze further said that “it was due to the fact that of MGNREGA workers’ protests that they, particularly women workers, person started to cognize their rights and conflict for them”. “Their rights are not lone for getting enactment but besides for ration, pension and dignity. Now Muzaffarpur’s protestation volition animate workers’ protests crossed the country. The workers of Muzaffarpur are showing the way to prevention MGNREGA,” helium added.
The sit-in protestation to “save MGNREGA” has been going connected for the past six days. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The sit-in protestation is being organised nether the banner of MGNREGA Watch, an organisation that works for the rights of MGNREGA workers successful Muzaffarpur territory of Bihar. “We person besides sent a missive to the District Magistrate of Muzaffarpur connected January 2, 2026, demanding jobs nether the MGNREGA strategy and withdrawal of the VB G-Ram-G Bill,” Sanjay Sahani of MGNREGA Watch said.
“Since the clip the caller strategy VB G-Ram-G has been brought successful spot of MGNREGA, workers from respective panchayats and villages of the territory are not getting employment. We request withdrawal of the caller VB G-Ram-G strategy and proviso of employment to the mediocre nether MGNREGA,” Mr. Sahani said successful the letter, which besides carried the names of workers and their panchayats who were not getting employment and was submitted to the section District Magistrate. Hundreds of MGNREGA workers, particularly women, person been sitting successful protestation against the caller employment warrant strategy successful Muzaffarpur for the past six days.
“Until the caller employment warrant strategy is withdrawn, we volition proceed our protestation and struggle. The caller Act would rob alternatively than make agrarian jobs and effect successful centralisation of each determination astatine the authorities level. VB G-Ram-G would bash much harm than bully to States similar Bihar and Jharkhand,” Mr. Dreze told The Hindu implicit the phone. He besides said that “going by the provisions of VB G-Ram-G, each the rights and capableness volition beryllium fixed by the Union authorities and States volition person small role, portion bearing 40% of the wage burden”.
