Shillong, Jan 22: Congress President Vincent H. Pala has said that the new VB-G RAM G that replaced the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is a direct and calculated attack on the rural poor, daily wage earners, and job-dependent households of Meghalaya
Addressing a public meeting in Mawkyrwat today Pala stated that the MGNREGA is not a discretionary welfare scheme but a legally guaranteed right to work, secured through sustained democratic struggle.
“Any dilution or replacement of this Act reflects the BJP government’s indifference to rural livelihoods, social security, and constitutional obligation,” he said.
The meeting highlighted the critical role MGNREGA has played in sustaining thousands of families in South West Khasi Hills, particularly in remote and economically vulnerable areas.
Speakers pointed out that the proposed Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act or VB-G RAM G scheme lacks transparency, statutory backing, and guaranteed employment days, making it an inadequate and unreliable substitute that prioritises optics over genuine rural empowerment.
MPCC Vice President K. Lyngkhoi and MPCC Secretary Manuel Badwar also addressed the gathering. They warned that the weakening of MGNREGA is part of a larger pattern of systematically eroding pro-people legislations across the country. They called upon citizens to remain united and vigilant against policies that deepen rural distress and economic insecurity.
During the meeting the Congress also welcomed Denis Nongsiej, retired Joint Director, Education Department, Barister Thyrniang, former KHNAM candidate for the 2024 MDC elections, Sngaphunlang Kharlyngdoh, Assistant Lecturer, Laban Assamese Higher Secondary School and Kordorlyne Kharlyngdoh, former Vice President of the Trinamool Congress, Mawkyrwat, to its fold.
