Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], December 29 : Top Congress leadership in Himachal Pradesh, led by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, on Monday staged a dharna at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the historic Ridge Maidan in Shimla against what they termed the Union Government's move to abolish the MGNREGA scheme and replace it with the proposed G-RMG Act.
The entire state Cabinet joined the protest, including Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee president Vinay Kumar, ministers, MLAs, and senior Congress leaders. The leaders sat in silent protest, holding placards to register their opposition to the proposed changes to the rural employment guarantee programme.
Speaking to reporters after the protest, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the Cabinet had unanimously discussed the issue and decided to protest at the feet of Mahatma Gandhi.
"Today, our Cabinet held a detailed discussion on MGNREGA. The way MGNREGA has been destroyed, our Cabinet has taken a stand at the feet of Mahatma Gandhi. The scheme that was started in his name was meant to employ in villages," Sukhu said.
He said that under MGNREGA, women, men, and elderly people could obtain work in their own villages.
"Earlier, the scheme was demand-driven. Works were planned based on demands raised by Panchayats, Panchayat representatives, Gram Sabhas, and local people. Now that the system has been terminated," he added.
Sukhu alleged that MGNREGA had been converted into an allocation-driven scheme.
"Now the Central Government will decide and notify which works will be taken up. Panchayats, BDC members, and women workers no longer have a say in village development work. This has weakened decentralisation and Panchayat powers," he said.
The Chief Minister said MGNREGA had been running successfully for the last 20 years and was the vision of former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
"This change has virtually ended the spirit of the scheme. We believe MGNREGA should remain demand-driven, and wages should be paid as per Panchayat demands without central notification," he said, adding that this was the reason for the peaceful protest.
Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, addressing the media, described MGNREGA as the world's largest employment guarantee scheme.
"For the last two decades, it has run very successfully, and money has reached directly to villages. That was the spirit of the scheme, and it strengthened rural livelihoods," he said.
Agnihotri alleged that the BJP had opposed MGNREGA from the outset.
"Even earlier, there were indications that MNREGA would not be allowed to continue. Gradually, efforts were made to weaken and restrict it," he said.
Referring to Mahatma Gandhi, Agnihotri said the entire Cabinet had protested against any attempt to dilute the scheme.
"Mahatma Gandhi's name and ideology cannot be erased. His statues are present worldwide. Removing his name from a scheme reflects a certain mindset," he remarked.
He further said that control had now been shifted upward from villages.
"Earlier, villages demanded work and funds were provided accordingly. Now it has become supply-driven. Decisions are notified from the top, and only then do work begin in villages," he said.
Agnihotri accused the Centre of following a policy of weakening states and undermining decentralisation.
"This disempowers the common man and defeats the spirit of village empowerment. Removing Mahatma Gandhi's name from any scheme is completely wrong and unacceptable," he said.
Both leaders asserted that while governments may introduce new schemes, the legacy and ideology of Mahatma Gandhi should never be undermined, and vowed to continue raising the issue on behalf of rural workers and Panchayati Raj institutions.