New Delhi, Jan 4 In a move to bolster efforts in safeguarding rural employment guarantees, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) has announced the formation of a dedicated Coordination Committee for the MGNREGA Bachao Sangram.
The initiative, aimed at overseeing, guiding, and monitoring the campaign's implementation, comes amid ongoing concerns about the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), a flagship programme providing wage employment to millions in rural India.
The committee, constituted by the Congress President with immediate effect, will be led by Ajay Maken as Convenor. The full list of core members includes prominent party figures; Jairam Ramesh, Sandeep Dikshit, Dr Udit Raj, Priyank Kharge, D Anasuya Seethakka, Dipika Pandey Singh, Dr Sunil Panwar and Manish Sharma.
In addition to these members, the heads of all frontal organisations within the Congress, along with the chairpersons of the AICC departments for Other Backward Classes (OBC), Scheduled Castes (SC), Minorities, Adivasi Congress, and Kisan Congress, will also serve on the committee. This broad inclusion underscores the party's intent to mobilise diverse stakeholders in the campaign.
The announcement was issued through a press statement issued by AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal from the party's headquarters. "The MGNREGA Bachao Sangram represents a critical struggle to protect and strengthen this vital scheme, which has been instrumental in alleviating rural poverty," the release stated, though it did not elaborate on specific threats or planned actions.
MGNREGA, enacted in 2005 under the Congress-led UPA government, guarantees 100 days of wage employment per year to rural households. The 'Bachao Sangram' (Save Struggle) campaign appears to be a response to alleged dilutions or funding cuts to the programme in recent years, with the Congress positioning itself as its defender.
Party insiders suggest the committee will coordinate nationwide activities, including awareness drives, protests, and policy advocacy, to ensure the scheme's integrity. This development signals a renewed push by the opposition Congress to highlight rural issues ahead of potential electoral battles. Further details on the campaign's rollout are expected in the coming weeks.
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