Cong on 45-day drive against VB-G RAM-G Act in Dimapur

Dimapur: Dimapur district Congress committee president Kutoho Chishi on Saturday launched the MGNREGA Bachao Sangram campaign, warning that the VB-GRAM-G Act poses a serious threat to rural employment, income security, and socio-economic stability in Nagaland and across the country.Speaking at a press conference at Congress Bhavan in Dimapur, Chishi said the 45-day campaign, which began on Jan 8, seeks to expose how the Act could dismantle the core principles of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). He cautioned that the legislation may restrict job guarantees, reduce funding, and alter implementation in ways that exclude vulnerable communities, thereby endangering livelihoods.Chishi stressed that the campaign’s objective is to mobilise public opinion and sensitise the media about the importance of preserving MGNREGA in its original form, which safeguards the constitutional right to work. He added that the initiative also calls for the withdrawal of the VB-G RAM-G Act and the restoration of MGNREGA’s provisions to ensure uninterrupted employment opportunities for rural workers.During the 45-day programme, the Nagaland Pradesh Congress committee will stage peaceful, non-violent protests across the state through constitutional means to demand accountability from policymakers.The district Congress urged the govt to reconsider the Bill’s implications and engage in dialogue with stakeholders to protect rural workers’ interests.It also appealed to the people of Dimapur, civil society organisations, and concerned citizens to participate in upcoming events, including panchayat-level outreach, ward-level sit-ins on Martyrs’ Day, and district-level dharnas from Jan 31 to Feb 6, to defend MGNREGA and uphold the dignity of labour.