NEW DELHI, June 16: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday launched a scathing attack on the Modi government, accusing it of undermining the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) by capping spending for the first half of the fiscal year 2025–26. Calling the move a “crime against the Constitution,” Kharge said it directly impacts the rights and livelihoods of the rural poor.
Citing a media report, Kharge said that the government has restricted MGNREGA expenditure to just 60% of the total annual allocation for the initial six months. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he said, “The Modi government is trying to destroy MGNREGA, the lifeline of the poor… Making cuts in the implementation of this constitutional right is a crime against the Constitution.”
Raising pointed questions, Kharge alleged that the cap is an attempt to withhold around ₹25,000 crore from poor families, forcing states to either deny employment or leave workers unpaid if demand surges in the first half of the year due to adverse weather or disasters.
The Congress leader highlighted recent findings that only 7% of registered families received the guaranteed 100 days of work under MGNREGA. He also questioned the exclusion of nearly 7 crore workers due to Aadhaar-linked payment mandates and criticized the Union government for allocating the scheme the lowest budget share in a decade.
Calling the spending cut a “severe blow” to the livelihoods of millions, Kharge reaffirmed Congress’s commitment to rural employment. “We are firm on our two demands — a minimum wage of ₹400 per day for MGNREGA workers and at least 150 days of guaranteed employment per year,” he said.
Kharge vowed that the Congress will “vehemently oppose” any move that weakens the programme, framing the issue as part of a broader ideological battle between the poor and an allegedly “anti-poor” BJP-led central government.
