Congress to hold mega rally in Ranchi against VB-G RAM G on Jan 5

Ranchi, Jan 3 (PTI) The ruling Congress in Jharkhand on Saturday said it will organise a mega rally in Ranchi on January 5 to protest the Centre's move to replace the rural job guarantee law MGNREGA with VB-G RAM G.

Addressing a press conference, state Congress president Keshav Mahato Kamlesh said party workers will assemble at the Bapu Vatika in Morabadi and march towards Lok Bhawan.

"We are organising the rally as part of the nationwide agitation against VB-G Ram G that replaced the UPA-era MGNREGA," he said.

Mahato alleged the MGNREGA, which protected the lives of lakhs of people during the pandemic, has been replaced "as part of a political conspiracy".

"In MGNREGA, the gram sabhas used to decide which work would be carried out and where. Now, it will be decided by the Centre," he alleged.

Mahato said the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) was aimed at enhancing the livelihood security of households in rural areas by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year.

President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) or VB-G RAM G Bill on December 21 after it was passed in the Parliament on December 18. It guarantees 125 days of wage employment per rural household per financial year. PTI SAN SOM