Congress holds protest in Mangaluru against changes to MGNREGA act

The Dakshina Kannada District Congress Committee staged a hunger strike protest on Wednesday opposing changes made by the Union government to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and demanding its restoration.

The protest was held in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue near Kudmul Ranga Rao Town Hall and continued from 10.30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Over 100 Congress leaders and workers participated, raising slogans and displaying placards condemning the amendments.

Addressing the protest, District Congress president K. Harish Kumar said MGNREGA was a lifeline for the poor and must be reinstated in its original form. He announced that padayatras of at least five kilometres would be organised in all Assembly constituencies, including a 100-km-long padayatra from Sullia to Mulki between February 9 and 12.

Former minister B. Ramanath Rai alleged that the new law had weakened the autonomy of gram panchayats and accused the Centre of denying Karnataka its rightful share of GST funds. MLC Ivan D’Souza said MGNREGA had provided employment to nearly 18 crore people and criticised the Centre for hurting the livelihoods of the poor.

Several Congress leaders and party workers were present during the protest.