Chennai, 18 December (H.S.) : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has launched a sharp attack on the Union government over the proposed changes to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA).

In a post on X( https://x.com/mkstalin/status/2001577363243663515?s=20) CM Stalin stated,Inaugurated the 'Perarignar Anna Wedding Hall' with all modern amenities, enabling the people of Kolathur constituency to conduct their wedding ceremonies at a low cost, and also officiated the weddings of 15 couples!

Urthermore, I laid the foundation stone for the construction of a new #ModelSchool in GKM Colony and the #Amutham market in Periyar Nagar.We have elevated Kolathur to be the best in all aspects, including a high-quality hospital, parks, the #ChiefMinister's_Creative_Centre, a library, sports arenas, and quality corporation schools! We are working to uplift all 234 constituencies in a similar manner.

The Chief Minister described the new Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission-Gramin (VB G RAM G) as a deceptive ploy that strikes at the livelihoods of the rural poor. He accused the ruling party of undermining a flagship welfare scheme while claiming to promote national unity. Stalin further alleged that the new framework places an unfair financial burden on state governments, which are already facing fiscal challenges.

The Chief Minister highlighted that under the proposed VB G RAM G scheme, states must bear forty percent of the project cost. He termed this requirement a punishment for states already struggling after the implementation of the GST tax changes.

Stalin noted that while the new bill claims to guarantee one hundred twenty-five days of work, previous experiences under the current regime showed that workers often received only twenty to twenty-five days of employment. He also raised concerns that the new rules allow officials to provide work only at their discretion, which could make employment opportunities even more scarce for rural laborers.

Stalin also criticized the opposition AIADMK for its perceived silence and complicity in the matter. He labeled the support for these changes as an act of green treason against rural women and poor agricultural laborers who depend on the scheme for their survival.

The Chief Minister pointed out that the Union government has removed Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the scheme and renamed it in Hindi, which he viewed as an affront to the values the program stood for. He concluded by asserting that these changes would result in major financial losses for Tamil Nadu and called for the protection of the rights-based welfare system.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Dr. R. B. Chaudhary