Congress to hold mega rally against VB-G Ram G bill in Ranchi on Jan 5

Ranchi/Dhanbad: The Congress party will march to Lok Bhavan on Jan 5 to protest the replacing of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). In Ranchi, the march will be held from Bapu Vatika in Morhabadi to Lok Bhavan. Similar stirs will be held across all districts.Notably, the Centre replaced MGNREGA with the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgaar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act (VB-G Ram G) in the winter session of Parliament in Dec last year. Addressing a press conference on Saturday, state Congress president Keshav Mahto Kamlesh said Jan 5 march is a part of the Congress party’s nationwide stir against the move. “From Jan 12-30, Chaupal will be held at panchayat levels to sensitise the people about the ill intentions of the Union govt. Various programmes have been planned under MNREGA Bachao abhiyan between Jan and Feb,” he said.Kamlesh said MGNREGA was the backbone of the country’s rural economy, which was broken by the Union govt. “During covid-19, MNREGA worked as a lifeline in villages. Modi govt wants to eliminate it.” Finance minister Radha Krishana Kishore VB-G Ram G bill was brought to drop Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the act as the BJP is opposed to Gandhi’s ideology. “The BJP does not want the people in rural areas to get employment, economic prosperity, increased purchasing power, this reflects BJP's capitalist thinking," he said.In Dhanbad, former state Congress president Rajesh Thakur at a press conference said the party would not tolerate any attempt to tamper with the identity or framework of MGNREGA, which he described as one of the most important welfare schemes for rural India.“MGNREGA was introduced by the Congress-led govt to curb migration and ensure employment at the grassroots level. Erasing Gandhi’s name is an attack on both his legacy and the rights of the rural poor,” he said.