STAFF REPORTER
SHILLONG: Raising serious concerns over recent changes affecting the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee leader Manuel Badwar on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the BJP-led government, alleging that the move strikes at the very foundation of social justice, constitutional responsibility and rural livelihoods. Framing the issue as one that goes far beyond party politics, Badwar warned that the proposed changes would have deep and long-term consequences for villages across Meghalaya, particularly impacting the poorest households, women workers and children, while weakening grassroots democracy and village-level autonomy.
Addressing the issue, Badwar said, “We want to highlight, especially for the public at large, particularly the people in Meghalaya’s rural belt, that the BJP is trying to kill the soul of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA). It is an unforgivable attack on social justice, the Constitution and especially the poorest sections of society. This is a direct attack on poor people.”
He underlined that MGNREGA was designed to guarantee employment as a legal right, stating that it “actually guarantees jobs for the rural population, ensuring that, come what may, 100 days of work is your right.” According to Badwar, the new framework shifts decision-making powers away from the people and villages. He argued, “It throws power away from the public and gives it to the government, and the government will now decide on so many things,” leading to the erosion of “the dignity of labour of villagers, the strength of villages and the administrative power of villages.”
The Congress leader further alleged that the centralization of budgets and approvals would disconnect policy from ground realities, noting that allocations would be decided “by Delhi, which has no link and no understanding of what is happening at the grassroots level in these villages.” Warning of excessive bureaucratic control, he said decisions on whether funds are released or notified would rest entirely with the government, calling it “a very dangerous trend” that would result in “no efficiency” and “no social justice whatsoever.”
He also dismissed assurances of increasing workdays, stating, “While they say that they will increase the number of days from 100 to 125, in reality, the number of days will definitely be reduced because they are curtailing the budget.” Badwar cautioned that women in rural areas would be among the worst affected, migration to cities like Shillong would intensify, children could be forced out of schools, and nearly “15 lakh people are under this umbrella” in Meghalaya alone.
He warned of rising exploitative labour practices and debt traps, saying families could end up becoming “slaves on their own land.” Emphasizing that the protest is about survival and dignity rather than politics, Badwar said, “This is not just about politics; this is more about the livelihoods of millions of people living in Meghalaya,” and appealed to regional parties to unite and raise their voices against what he described as a grave threat to village life and social stability.
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