Agartala — The Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) on Thursday held a review meeting at the state party headquarters to chalk out strategies for the upcoming “MGNREGA Bachao Sangram” (Save MGNREGA struggle) campaign, aimed at opposing what the party describes as the systematic dilution of the rural employment guarantee scheme.
The meeting was chaired by TPCC president Ashish Kumar Saha and attended by senior party leaders, who discussed ways to mobilise public support across the state and ensure effective participation at the grassroots level.
Addressing reporters after the meeting, Saha said the Congress has announced a nationwide 45-day agitation from January 10 to February 25, 2026, to protest against attempts to weaken the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). “The campaign, titled MGNREGA Bachao Sangram, is intended to protect the rights of rural workers and oppose policies that undermine the very spirit of the Act,” he said.
Saha strongly criticised the newly introduced Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (VB-G RAM G) Act, alleging that it erodes the rights-based framework of MGNREGA. He claimed the new law centralises decision-making and reduces the role of local panchayats, which are central to the effective implementation of rural employment schemes.
Congress leaders at the meeting underlined that MGNREGA has served as a crucial lifeline for millions of rural households in Tripura, providing guaranteed employment and acting as a safety net against poverty, hunger, and distress migration. They warned that any move to dilute the scheme would disproportionately harm the rural poor and marginalised communities.
Reaffirming the party’s commitment, Saha said the Congress stands firmly with rural workers and will oppose any attempt to dismantle MGNREGA. He added that the state unit will work closely with district and block-level committees to ensure widespread participation in the campaign.
The leaders also accused the BJP-led central government of spreading misinformation and neglecting the concerns of rural communities, asserting that the Save MGNREGA campaign is not merely a protest but a fight to safeguard a fundamental legal right.
