CM Stalin slams Centre over MGNREGA as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin strongly criticised the Union government for what he called a systematic dismantling of the rural employment scheme. CM Stalin slams Centre over MGNREGA while vowing to oppose any move that weakens the legal right to work for rural households.
Speaking on Saturday, Stalin accused the Centre of deliberately removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name from MGNREGA. Moreover, he alleged that the government plans to replace the demand-driven scheme with a discretionary rural jobs programme controlled by budget allocations.
According to Stalin, MGNREGA guarantees employment as a legal right. Therefore, he said any shift away from this framework undermines rural livelihoods and constitutional values. He argued that the proposed model allows the Centre to decide funding at will, which could leave States helpless.
The Chief Minister said Tamil Nadu has consistently implemented MGNREGA effectively. As a result, millions of rural families depend on it for income security. He warned that reducing the scheme’s scope would increase rural distress and migration.
Stalin also accused the Centre of erasing the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi by removing his name from welfare programmes. He said such actions weaken the moral foundation of social justice policies.
Meanwhile, the DMK government has decided to fight the proposed changes politically and legally. Stalin said States must unite to protect workers’ rights and federal principles.
Finally, he assured rural workers that Tamil Nadu will continue to safeguard employment guarantees. He said the State will resist any attempt to dilute MGNREGA’s core principles.
