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India: Compilation of Statements, reports following repeal of MGNREGA | Dec 2025 / Jan 2026

21 December 2025

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SACW Compilation of Statements by campaigns and parties following the repeal of MGNREGA in India [last update, Jan 11, 2026]

1. NREGA Sangharsh Morcha Statement on Repeal of MGNREGA
2. CPI(M) statement on repeal on NREGA
3; Radical Socialist Statement on the Repeal of MGNREGA
4. Joint Call by Left Parties
5. Sign-on Open Letter calling for reversal of the repeal of MGNREGA
6. URLs to Relevant readings & resources

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1. NREGA Sangharsh Morcha
Ph: 9433002064/ 7982910587/ 7012919362/ 9945767607
Twitter: @NREGA_Sangharsh
Facebook: @NREGASangharshMorcha Email: nrega.sangharsh.morcha[at]gmail.com

The Right to Work Repealed

The NREGA Sangharsh Morcha condemns the proposed Viksit Bharat - Guarantee For Rozgar And Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025 (VB-G RAM G) that seeks to repeal the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA). Introduced without any consultation with workers and workers-groups, the bill represents a fundamental shift from a rights-based law that provides an enforceable entitlement into a budget-constrained scheme without any accountability of the Union Government.

  • Excessive Discretionary Power for the Centre: MGNREGA establishes a statutory right to work that is demand-driven and universal i.e. any person willing to do unskilled manual work in any rural area must be provided work. But under the VB-G RAM G Bill, Section 5(1) states “the State Government shall, in such rural areas in the State as notified by the Central Government, provide to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work, not less than 125 days of guaranteed employment.” Therefore, if a rural area is not notified by the Centre, there is no right to work for the people of that area, effectively reducing universally guaranteed employment to any other scheme run at the mercy of the Union Government.
  • Demand-driven to Supply-based: MGNREGA draws its power from its demand-driven nature i.e., every rural worker must be given work within 15 days, failing which they are entitled to an unemployment allowance. 100% of labour wages are the union government’s prerogative. However, Section 4(5) of the VB-G RAM G Bill states “The Central Government shall determine the State-wise normative allocation for each financial year, based on objective parameters as may be prescribed by the Central Government,” while Section 4(6) further provides that “Any expenditure incurred by a State in excess of its normative allocation shall be borne by the State Government in such manner and by such procedure as may be prescribed by the Central Government.” This enables the Union Government to arbitrarily decide the quantum of funds to be allocated to states which, in turn, will determine how many days of employment can be provided in that state. This completely upends the logic of MGNREGA where funding follows demand to a supply-driven system where demand must conform to a pre-determined budget
  • Burdening of States: Under MGNREGA, the Union Government is responsible for 100% labour wages and 75% of the material wages. In practice, this translates to a 90:10 cost share between the Centre and the States. Section 22(2) of the G-RAM-G bill provides that “the fund-sharing pattern between the Central Government and the State Governments shall be 90:10 for the North Eastern States, Himalayan States and Union territory (Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir) and 60:40 for all other States and Union territories with legislature.” This clause not only puts a massive burden on states, but also disproportionately impacts poorer and high migrant-sending states which are more in need of rural employment. The increased financial burden will lead to states resorting to fiscal conservatives and not registering workers’ demand for work.
  • Bottom-up to Top-Down: In accordance with the 73rd Constitutional Amendment, in MGNREGA, the planning of works was done through Gram Sabhas based on local needs. But this provision is overturned by Schedule 1, clause 6(4) of the VB-G RAM G Bill which states that “Viksit Bharat National Rural Infrastructure Stack shall guide States, Districts and Panchayati Raj Institutions in identifying priority infrastructure gaps, standardising work designs, and ensuring that public investments contribute measurably to saturation outcomes at the Gram

Panchayat, Block and District levels.” By shifting the planning process from local to a pre-defined centralised priority system of a ‘National Rural Infrastructure Stack’ would subvert the 73rd Constitutional Amendment.

  • Technocratic Monitoring and Surveillance: Workers’ organisations have repeatedly highlighted widespread exclusions resulting from the imposition of opaque, arbitrary technologies in MGNREGA like digital attendance (NMMS) and Aadhaar-based payment systems (ABPS). Despite this, the VB-G RAM G Bill seeks to introduce a framework rooted in top-down, technology-driven surveillance by mandating the use of biometric authentication for MGNREGA workers and functionaries as well as the use of geospatial technology and geo-referencing of works. Biometric authentication is fraught with problems, particularly for agricultural and manual labourers, as evidenced by numerous studies and ground reports.
  • Year-round Right to work to Blackout Periods: Any rural resident can demand and get work at any time of the year in MGNREGA. Section 6(2) of VB-G RAM G bill states “The State Governments shall notify in advance, a period aggregating to sixty days in a financial year, covering the peak agricultural seasons of sowing and harvesting, during which works under this Act, shall not be undertaken.” Workers, especially women workers, in need and willing to work, will now be legally deprived of work for at least 2 months.

The VB-G RAM G Bill is not a reform but a rollback of democratic and constitutional guarantees won by workers through decades of sustained struggles. By replacing the statutory right under MGNREGA with a centrally-controlled, budget-capped and surveillance-heavy scheme, the Union Government is seeking to dismantle a historic rights-based legislation and reduce the right to work to a discretionary dole. This Bill violates the spirit of the Constitution, undermines the 73rd Constitutional Amendment, and strikes at the core of social and economic justice by shifting power away from workers, Gram Sabhas, and States into the hands of the Union Government.

The NREGA Sangharsh Morcha unequivocally rejects the VB-G RAM G Bill, 2025, and demands its immediate withdrawal. Any attempt to repeal or fundamentally alter MGNREGA without the consent and participation of workers and their organisations is unacceptable. We call upon all democratic forces to resist these unilateral and regressive proposals and to defend NREGA as a cornerstone of livelihood security for millions of rural workers.

Allied Organisations of NREGA Sangharsh Morcha:

Anna Suraksha Adhikar Abhiyan, Chhattisgarh Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan, Dalit Bahujan Front, Grameena Koolikarmikare Sangathane, Gram Vikas Manch, Jagrit Adivasi Dalit Sangathan, Jan Jagran Shakti Sangathan, Jagruta Mahila Okkutta, MGNREGA Majdoor Union - Banaras, MGNREGA Majdoor Union - Haryana, Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan, Majdoor Navnirman Sangathan, National Federation for Indian Women, Jharkhand NREGA Watch, Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity, Paschim Banga Cha Majoor Samity, Pravasi Majdoor Sanagthan, Rajasthan Asangathit Majdoor Union, Rashtriya Seemant Kisan Majdoor Union, Samalochana, Jan Vikas Shakti Sangathan, Sangatin Kisan Majdoor Sangathan, Soochna Evum Rozgar Adhikar Abhiyan, Swabhimani Mazdoor Sangathan, Right to Food and Work Network - West Bengal, Right to Food Campaign, Ambedkarism Punadi Association, Samaj Parivartan Shakti Sangathan, Bhakhar Bhitrod Vikas Manch, Odisha Khadya Adhikar Abhijan

2. CPM statement on withdrawal of MGNREGA

December 15, 2025

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:

Withdraw VB-GRAMG Bill Immediately

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) strongly opposes the Union government’s move to introduce the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025 (VB-GRAMG Bill), which seeks to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). The proposed bill completely negates the basic character of the MNREGA, which is a universal demand driven law providing a limited right to work. It legally absolves the Union government from its responsibility to allocate funds according to the demand.

The government’s claim of increasing guaranteed employment from 100 to 125 days is merely cosmetic. In reality, the Bill opens the door to the exclusion of large sections of rural households in the name of rationalisation of job cards. The provision allowing governments to suspend employment for up to 60 days during peak agricultural seasons will deny work to rural households when it is most needed and make them dependent on landlords. Mandating digital attendance at work place is bound to cause immense difficulties to workers, like loss of work, and denial of their rights.

A major concern is the proposed shift in the funding pattern. The Bill reduces the Centre’s responsibility for wage payments from 100 per cent to a 60:40 sharing arrangement for major states. It shifts the responsibility of bearing the expenditure on unemployment allowance and delay compensation to the states. This places an unsustainable financial burden on state governments while denying them any role in the decision making process. The introduction of “normative allocation” – with state-wise expenditure ceilings imposed by the Centre and excess costs borne by states – will further curtail the programme’s reach and dilute the Centre’s accountability.

The sinister change in the scheme’s name from MNREGA to G RAM G also reflects the BJP-RSS ideological bent.

The CPI(M) demands that the VB-GRAMG Bill be withdrawn immediately. The Union government must instead engage in consultations with political parties, trade unions and organisations of the rural poor to strengthen MGNREGA and ensure its effective implementation as a universal and rights-based employment guarantee.

3. Radical Socialist Statement on the Repeal of MGNREGA

On Thursday, December 18, 2025, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) was repealed and replaced with the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) — the VB-G RAM G Bill, 2025. The Modi government, through deliberate and calculated dissimulation, tabled the bill for discussion in Parliament without any prior consultation, allocated inadequate time for debate and finally passed the bill through a voice vote despite widespread dissent from opposition parties. The removal of Gandhi’s name from the Act is calculated to offend many outside the Hindutva fold and is particularly aimed at the Congress Party. But it also serves to divert attention publicly from the substantive changes made. By increasing the guaranteed number of workdays per household from 100 to 125 days the government can pretend that this is a reform to strengthen MGNREGA. However, please note that this new ceiling is not at all binding and because this scheme, unlike the previous one, is not demand driven from below, its application or otherwise—where, when, to what extent or not at all---is at the behest of the powers above.

MGNREGA provided individuals with a legally enforceable right to work. Those in rural India who were willing and able to work could demand employment and were entitled to be provided with work and wages by the central government. There is a substantial body of evidence suggesting that the implementation of MGNREGA, led to increases in household earnings in rural India and contributed significantly to the decline in rural poverty. All of this is now set to be reversed.

4. Joint Protest Call By Left Parties

22 December - All India Protest Day Left Parties Call for Protest Against Changes in MGNREGA

The Left parties strongly oppose the BJP-led Union Government’s move to alter the basic character of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), which was enacted due to the pressure exerted by the Left parties on the UPA government. We call upon the people to mobilise in large numbers and protest on 22 December, against the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025 (VB G-RAM-G Bill), which is sought to replace MGNREGA.

MGNREGA is a universal, demand-driven law that provides a limited right to work. The new Bill changes this character and denies people even this limited right. It legally absolves the Union Government of its responsibility to allocate funds in accordance with demand.

The government’s claim of increasing guaranteed employment from 100 to 125 days is yet another of its well-known jhumlas. The Bill excludes large sections of rural households in the name of rationalising job cards. The suspension of employment for up to 60 days during peak agricultural seasons will deny work when it is most needed by rural workers and make them dependent on landlords. Mandatory digital attendance causes immense difficulties for workers, including loss of work and denial of their rights.

By proposing a change in the funding pattern, the Centre shifts its responsibility onto the states. This places an unsustainable financial burden on state governments while denying them any role in the decision-making process. The states are also expected to bear the expenditure on unemployment allowance and delay compensation. All these changes are intended to curtail the reach of the scheme and dilute the Union Government’s accountability.

The change in the scheme’s name from MGNREGA to G-RAM-G is an affront to Mahatma Gandhi and reflects the BJP/RSS’s hostility towards his legacy.

We demand that the BJP government immediately withdraw the VB G-RAM-G Bill. The Left parties will protest against these proposed changes throughout the country on 22 December. We appeal to the people to join in large numbers and demand the immediate withdrawal of the new Bill. We demand the government to strengthen the MGNREGA by making it universal, allocating necessary funds to ensure that at least 200-days of minimum employment is provided.

M A Baby General Secretary, CPI(M)
D Raja General Secretary, CPI
Dipankar Bhattacharya General Secretary, CPI(ML)- Liberation
Manoj Bhattacharya General Secretary, RSP
G Devarajan General Secretary, AIFB

5. Sign-on Open Letter by scientists, academics, and civil society organisations to the Government of India Calling for Reversal of the Repeal of MGNREGA

6. Select URLs for relevant reports & materials :