The Crossbill News Desk
Marking two decades since the rollout of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), the Congress on Monday (February 2, 2026) launched a sharp attack on the Narendra Modi-led government, describing the flagship rural employment law as transformative and accusing the Centre of replacing it with a flawed scheme that has effectively “bulldozed it away”.
Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh recalled that exactly 20 years ago, MGNREGA was launched at Badnapalli village in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh. Highlighting its impact over the years, he said the programme had reshaped rural livelihoods across the country.
“Over the years, it has provided 180 crore days of work to rural households (especially women), created an estimated 10 crore community assets, significantly reduced distress migration, empowered gram panchayats, and decisively increased the bargaining power of the rural poor for higher wages,” Ramesh said on X.
He said the scheme had also pioneered the direct benefit transfer system, ensuring wages were credited directly into bank and post office accounts.
According to him, individual small and marginal farmers were able to create irrigation facilities such as wells on their own land through the programme.
Reiterating the legal foundations of MGNREGA, Ramesh said it was not a discretionary welfare measure but a rights-based law.
“MGNREGA was a demand-based legal guarantee and not just an administrative promise,” he said, adding that “It was a right derived from Article 41 of the Constitution.”
Explaining its decentralised framework, he said work was provided when demanded by citizens and could be undertaken anywhere in rural India.
“Work was allocated when demanded by citizens and was made available anywhere in rural India. Projects were decided upon by the local Gram Panchayat, and the State Government having to pay only 10% of the overall costs was incentivised to provide work without having to bear significant costs,” he said.
Ramesh also underlined the accountability mechanisms built into the scheme, noting that social audits were conducted through Gram Sabhas, along with regular high-level audits by the Comptroller and Auditor General.
In contrast, he alleged that the Modi government’s new law had hollowed out these principles.
He claimed it ensured “only centralisation in New Delhi” and fundamentally altered how employment was generated under the scheme. According to him, work would now be notified by the Centre in select districts, rather than being driven by local demand.
“Work will be provided based on the Government's allocated budget rather than on citizen demand. The scheme will stop altogether for two months every year during peak agricultural activities - a big blow to workers' bargaining power who won't be able to negotiate better wages for agricultural work,” Ramesh said.
He further alleged that the role of local self-governments had been weakened.
“The panchayat has been sidelined, and projects will be determined by the Modi government according to its priorities,” he said.
Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh recalled that exactly 20 years ago, MGNREGA was launched at Badnapalli village in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh. Highlighting its impact over the years, he said the programme had reshaped rural livelihoods across the country.
“Over the years, it has provided 180 crore days of work to rural households (especially women), created an estimated 10 crore community assets, significantly reduced distress migration, empowered gram panchayats, and decisively increased the bargaining power of the rural poor for higher wages,” Ramesh said on X.
He said the scheme had also pioneered the direct benefit transfer system, ensuring wages were credited directly into bank and post office accounts.
According to him, individual small and marginal farmers were able to create irrigation facilities such as wells on their own land through the programme.
Reiterating the legal foundations of MGNREGA, Ramesh said it was not a discretionary welfare measure but a rights-based law.
“MGNREGA was a demand-based legal guarantee and not just an administrative promise,” he said, adding that “It was a right derived from Article 41 of the Constitution.”
Explaining its decentralised framework, he said work was provided when demanded by citizens and could be undertaken anywhere in rural India.
“Work was allocated when demanded by citizens and was made available anywhere in rural India. Projects were decided upon by the local Gram Panchayat, and the State Government having to pay only 10% of the overall costs was incentivised to provide work without having to bear significant costs,” he said.
Ramesh also underlined the accountability mechanisms built into the scheme, noting that social audits were conducted through Gram Sabhas, along with regular high-level audits by the Comptroller and Auditor General.
In contrast, he alleged that the Modi government’s new law had hollowed out these principles.
He claimed it ensured “only centralisation in New Delhi” and fundamentally altered how employment was generated under the scheme. According to him, work would now be notified by the Centre in select districts, rather than being driven by local demand.
Exactly 20 years ago today, MGNREGA was launched at Badnapalli village in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh. Over the years, it has provided 180 crore days of work to rural households (especially women), created an estimated 10 crore community assets, significantly reduced… pic.twitter.com/gDZA0wXCqF
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) February 2, 2026
“Work will be provided based on the Government's allocated budget rather than on citizen demand. The scheme will stop altogether for two months every year during peak agricultural activities - a big blow to workers' bargaining power who won't be able to negotiate better wages for agricultural work,” Ramesh said.
He further alleged that the role of local self-governments had been weakened.
“The panchayat has been sidelined, and projects will be determined by the Modi government according to its priorities,” he said.
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