Maken to be convenor of Cong coordination panel to monitor 'MGNREGA Bachao Sangram'

New Delhi, Jan 4 (PTI) The Congress set up a coordination committee on Sunday to oversee and monitor the "MGNREGA Bachao Sangram", a 45-day agitational plan of the opposition party beginning January 10, with Ajay Maken as its convenor.

"Congress president has constituted a coordination committee to oversee, guide, and monitor the implementation of the MGNREGA Bachao Sangram, with immediate effect," AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said in a communication.

While party treasurer Maken will be its convenor, senior leaders Jairam Ramesh, Sandeep Dikshit, Udit Raj and Priyank Kharge will be members of the panel.

Other leaders also nominated on the panel by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge include D Anasuya Seethakka, Deepika Pandey Singh, Sunil Panwar and Manish Sharma.

The heads of all frontal organisations, along with the chairpersons of the All India Congress Committee's (AICC) OBC, SC, Minority, Adivasi departments and the Kisan Congress, will also be members of the coordination committee, the communication said.

The Congress has announced the nationwide "MGNREGA Bachao Sangram" from January 10 to February 25 to demand the withdrawal of the VB G-RAM-G Act, and restoration of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) as a rights-based law, the right to work and the authority of panchayats.

The opposition party has alleged that through the new VB-G RAM G Act, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre has ensured complete centralisation as employment will no longer be a right under the new Act, which will be challenged in court. PTI SKC RC