Agartala, Feb 18: Ashish Kumar Saha, President of the Pradesh Congress Committee, on Tuesday alleged that the BJP government has gradually weakened the MGNREGA scheme and is attempting to dismantle it in the interest of corporate groups.

He made the remarks while addressing a public meeting organized as part of a campaign to submit a memorandum to the Governor, demanding the restoration of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). The programme was held near the Gandhi statue adjacent to the Circuit House.

Speaking at the gathering, Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman said that MGNREGA was launched during the Congress-led government at the Centre to ensure livelihood security for rural households by guaranteeing 100 days of wage employment annually.

He claimed that any move to dilute or cancel the scheme would severely impact rural families, pushing them into uncertainty.
Both leaders alleged that the government’s decisions are being taken in favour of corporate interests at the cost of the rural poor.