Grassroots Uprising: Karnataka Activists and Workers Decry Centre’s “Undemocratic” Overhaul of Rural Job Guarantee
Bengaluru: In a powerful display of dissent, a broad coalition of MGNREGA workers, grassroots activists, and legal experts has launched a scathing condemnation of the Central Government’s move to replace the landmark Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the new Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rojgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) or VB-GRAMG Act. The move, they assert, dismantles a hard-won social safety net and represents a grave undemocratic overreach by the BJP-led Centre.
The criticism was formalized at a press conference in Bengaluru on January 2, organized under the banner of the NREGA Sangharsh Morcha. Speakers unanimously framed the new Act as a systematic erosion of a rights-based framework, converting it into a discretionary, centrally controlled scheme that jeopardizes the livelihoods of over 26 crore registered workers nationwide.
From Constitutional Right to Discretionary Dole: The Core Betrayal
The transformation, activists argue, is fundamental. The original MGNREGA was a demand-driven legal right to work. The VB-GRAMG Act reduces it to a government-ordained scheme. “MGNREGA empowered women. This new law kills the very spirit of women’s right to work because it snatches away the demand-driven nature,” said Guttamma Sunagar, President of the Haveri District Wage Workers’ Association, capturing the anguish of millions.
The overhaul was rushed through Parliament in a mere 72 hours, a process activists cite as symptomatic of the government’s unilateral and non-consultative lawmaking. “This law was accepted without any consultation and now the Centre decides where and what work happens. The Centre even decides the wages,” stated Clifton D’Rozario, a lawyer with the Karnataka High Court, highlighting the loss of local autonomy.
A Fiscal Assault on Federalism and Karnataka’s Coffers
One of the most severe condemnations targets the Act’s financial architecture. It shifts to a 60:40 cost-sharing ratio between the Centre and states for wages, a drastic change from the Centre’s earlier responsibility for full wage payments. Economists warn this will cripple state finances.
Professor Vinod Vyasulu, an economist, presented a dire forecast for Karnataka. “This new law will place a heavy burden on Karnataka,” he said. Analysis shows that to provide the same level of work as in 2024-25, the state’s cost would skyrocket to approximately Rs. 2,729 crore—a fourfold increase. Fulfilling the new Act’s promise of 125 days of work would cost Karnataka a staggering Rs. 7,573 crore. “Given the FRBM Act and the structure of GST devolution, this is terrifying for Karnataka’s fiscal health,” Vyasulu stated, questioning how the state could fund this without gutting other essential welfare and health schemes.
Structural Flaws: Blackout Periods, Weakened Panchayats, and Court Contempt
The list of grievances is long and detailed:
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A 60-Day Agricultural Blackout: The Act mandates a two-month compulsory denial of work, primarily during agricultural seasons. Activists see this as a deliberate move to pit landless labourers against farmers and strip vulnerable communities of bargaining power.
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Weakening of Grassroots Democracy: The Act severely undermines Gram Sabhas and Panchayats. “Gram Sabhas came alive because of MGNREGA and the VB-GRAMG Act will kill it,” said Suvarna Kuthali of the Jagruta Mahila Okkuta. The new system centralizes planning, reducing local bodies to “labour suppliers for central contractors.”
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Alleged Contempt of Supreme Court: By absolving the Centre of liability for compensation on delayed wage payments, the Act flouts a 2018 Supreme Court order in the Swaraj Abhiyan case.
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Failed Anti-Corruption Measures: The Act doubles down on technological controls like the National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS) and Aadhaar-Based Payment Systems (ABPS), which activists say have caused large-scale exclusions. “As a migrant worker, until 2014, we had 100 days of work. But since 2014, useless technologies like the NMMS attendance app and ABPS have caused denial of work and wages. Now such technologies will increase and lead to more exclusions,” shared Mahantesh of Grakoos, Bagalkote.
A Legacy Defended, A Struggle Reignited
The press conference served as a potent reminder of MGNREGA’s legacy. Nikhil Dey, co-founder of MKSS, who was involved in the original drafting of MGNREGA in 2005, drew a sharp contrast: “MGNREGA was achieved through several rounds of consultations, but this new law, brought without consultation, is an attack on people’s right to work. It was passed in opposition to the principles of democracy, and the promise of 125 days of work is a hoax.”
MGNREGA worker Nagamma Mallahalli from Haveri district emphasized its empowering role: “MGNREGA helped rural workers get organized.” Reasserting the community’s demands, she added, “We want a daily wage of Rs. 500 and 200 days of work per year through MGNREGA.”
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In a final, forceful statement, the coalition released a charter of demands, declaring the fight not merely about policy but about dignity. “This is not just a policy change; it is a theft of the dignity of Dalit, Adivasi, and rural women workers who depend on MGNREGA to survive,” the activists asserted.
Their demands to the government are unequivocal:
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Immediately repeal the VB-GRAMG Act.
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Restore MGNREGA and the constitutional right to work.
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Uphold the federal structure by ensuring state governments are not burdened by unilateral financial dictates.
The message from Karnataka is clear: the struggle to preserve a cornerstone of rural justice has entered a new and determined phase.
