HYDERABAD: Telangana Legislative Assembly on Friday adopted a resolution demanding that the Union government continue with the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in toto, without any changes keeping in view of its defined objectives and targets for the welfare of wage workers.
The Congress government argued that the Viksit Bharat — Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission — Gramin (G RAM G) Act, 2025, is detrimental to the rights of the poor.
Introducing the resolution in the Assembly, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said, “The new Act (G RAM G) is detrimental to the poor. It undermines the original purpose of the employment guarantee Act. It has put an end to the system of preparing work plans based on demand. The old demand-based system should be continued.”
Speaking during a short discussion on MGNREGA, the chief minister said that by removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the scheme the Centre has diluted the spirit of Gandhian philosophy.
He also noted that the new Act would lead to less workdays and would be a disadvantage to women, who constitute 61.2% of workers. He also noted that the fund share of 60:40 between Centre and State is in contravention of the federal spirit. He demanded that the Centre continue with the existing scheme.
During the discussion, the Congress and its ally CPI locked horns with the BJP, which defended the move to replace the MGNREGA with G RAM G.
Disadvantageous to the poor: Seethakka
Opening the debate, Panchayat Raj & Rural Development Minister Danasari Anasuya alias Seethakka lambasted the Centre, stating it had promised to provide 125 workdays, which is not possible to implement.
She alleged that repealing the previous employment guarantee Act is disadvantageous to the poor. She said that the G RAM G was completely in contravention to the federal spirit, advocating that the Centre should have consulted the states.
New Act will help in village development, says Alleti
BJP floor leader Alleti Maheshwar Reddy said that the G RAM G was brought with an intention to enhance MGNREGA. He said that the new Act will help in village development.
He ridiculed the Congress government’s argument of imposing a financial burden on the state governments.
He questioned whether it is wrong to create useful assets under the employment guarantee scheme.
CPI MLA Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao said that the BJP government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought draconian acts, citing the farm laws which were withdrawn by the Centre.
“The Modi government has love and affection only for corporates like Ambani and Adani and no one else,” he said.
Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said that the Centre is moving towards “work only if Centre permits”, from a stage of “right to work”.
Stating that MGNREGA was a silent revolution that was aimed at addressing distressed migration, he said that the proposed “G RAM G would be handy in increasing bonded labour and declining women’s participation in wage labour only to provide cheap labour to the corporates”.
Vikramarka said that the Congress wouldn’t be a mute spectator if the Centre attempts to erode the objective of MGNREGA.
Uttam to make PPT presentation on river waters today
Hyderabad: Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy is set to make a PowerPoint presentation on Krishna river water issues in the Assembly on Saturday.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has reportedly instructed the officials to make arrangements for the presentation at 12.30 pm. It may be mentioned here that Uttam has already made a PPT presentation to Congress Legislators at Praja Bhavan on Thursday.
On that occasion, the chief minister stated that they will expose the previous BRS government for their wrong decisions on Krishna river matters, including construction of Palamuru Rangareddy Irrigation Project and water sharing between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Meanwhile, BRS MLA and former irrigation minister T Harish Rao is scheduled to give a PPT presentation on the same issue at Telangana Bhavan on Saturday.