Sharmila begins Upaadi Haami Parirakshana Yatra in Anantapur

Vijayawada: APCC chief YS Sharmila accused the BJP-led NDA govt of undermining the employment guarantee rights of the poor by replacing MNREGA—introduced by the Congress-led UPA govt—with the uncertain VB Gram G Act, casting a long shadow over the livelihood security of millions.Launching her state-wide Upaadi Haami Parirakshana Yatra from Bandlapalle village in Singanamala constituency, Anantapur district, on Monday, Sharmila underscored how Upaadi Haami (as MNREGA is popularly known in Andhra Pradesh) empowered rural households by ensuring dignified work and timely wages. She cautioned that recent policy changes threatened to erode this hard-won right.Addressing a large gathering, Sharmila voiced grave concern over what she described as deliberate attempts by the Modi government to dilute MNREGA through the VB Gram G initiative. She stressed that while MNREGA is a legally guaranteed right to work, VB Gram G offered no such assurance, undermining the very principle of job security.The Congress-led UPA government had launched MNREGA two decades ago from Bandlapalle village on February 2, 2006. Sharmila's Upaadi Haami Parirakshana Yatra will continue across the state, mobilising rural communities, MNREGA workers, and job card holders to defend the programme that has ensured livelihood security for crores of families and remains a cornerstone of rural welfare.