SHILLONG, DEC 19: Congress leaders and workers on Friday staged a protest infront of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state party office against the Centre government’s recent changes to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
“The discontinuation of MGNREGA and its conversion into what is being called ‘Jayramji’ is not merely a name change—it strikes at the fundamental constitutional right of every citizen to work,” Secretary of the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) Badwar told reporters.
“The new law removes the guaranteed 100 days of employment, leaving job provision to the discretion of the government based on available funding. This shifts the pressure from the government to the public.”
Badwar warned that the move effectively weaponizes a welfare scheme, turning it into a political tool that can be used selectively.
“Communities will suffer massively depending on the political will of the ruling party. Villagers who once had a guaranteed job may now find themselves without work, jeopardizing their livelihoods and forcing families into debt traps,” he added.
He highlighted the broader repercussions: children may be pulled out of school to seek work, wages in rural areas could plummet due to an oversupply of labor, and moneylenders could exploit the vulnerable, deepening poverty. “
In Meghalaya, where many depend on the 100‑day scheme, this could cripple households economically,” Badwar said.
Calling for united opposition, he urged NGOs, other political parties, and the public to join the protest.
“We are not a rich state; our per‑capita GDP is among the lowest in the country. We must stand up and protect our villagers from this vendetta against the Congress and the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi,” he asserted.
 state party office against the Centre government's recent changes to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).){kind=link}