Cong leader Ghatowar slams Centre’s decision to drop Gandhi’s name from MGNREGA

Dibrugarh: Veteran Congress leader and former Union minister Paban Singh Ghatowar on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the Central govt’s decision to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), calling the move ‘unfortunate and surprising’.Addressing media persons at the Rajiv Bhavan in Dibrugarh, the former five-time MP from the Dibrugarh Lok Sabha constituency expressed strong disapproval of the scheme’s rechristening as the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Grameen), or VB-G RAM G. “The omission of Mahatma Gandhi’s name from this landmark scheme is deeply troubling. What is the intention behind removing the Father of the Nation’s name from a programme that has been instrumental in providing livelihood security to millions of rural families?” Ghatowar said, questioning the govt’s motives.The former Union minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) said that MGNREGA, launched during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) govt, has been one of India’s most significant social security initiatives. The scheme guarantees 100 days of wage employment per year to rural households whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.“This is not just about changing a name. It reflects an attempt to erase the legacy and contributions of previous govts. MGNREGA has been a lifeline for the rural poor, particularly during times of distress such as the Covid-19 pandemic. Removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name diminishes the values of dignity of labour and social welfare that he stood for,” Ghatowar said.The Congress leader’s criticism comes amid growing political debate over the Central govt’s various initiatives to rebrand and rename schemes introduced by previous administrations. Critics argue that such moves are politically motivated attempts to claim credit for existing welfare programmes.Ghatowar highlighted that the employment guarantee scheme was conceptualised with Gandhian principles at its core — empowering the marginalised, ensuring social justice, and providing dignity through work. “Mahatma Gandhi believed in empowering the rural masses. This scheme embodied his vision. To strip away his name is to disregard our nation’s foundational values,” he added.The rebranding aligns with the Centre’s broader ‘Viksit Bharat (Developed India)’ vision, which aims to transform India into a developed nation by 2047. However, opposition parties have consistently questioned whether such cosmetic changes serve any substantive purpose beyond political optics.