Priyanka Gandhi, Other Kerala MPs Protest Over MNREGA Issue In Parliament: 'Centre Trying To Finish Scheme'
Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, also briefly joined the demonstration.
The Opposition MPs from Kerala, including Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, staged a protest in Parliament on Tuesday over the issue of wage delays under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA). Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, also briefly joined the demonstration. The protesters alleged that the workers across Kerala do not receive their salaries on time.
On the protest, Congress MP KC Venugopal told ANI, "As per the provisions of the MGNRE Act, if the wages of the works have been delayed for more than 15 days, then there should be a provision of interest to be given to them. Unfortunately, MNREGA workers do not receive their salaries in all areas of Kerala. There is no concrete answer from the central minister on this. The central government is trying to finish this scheme."
#WATCH | Opposition MPs from Kerala, including Congress' Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, protest over the MNREGA issue in Parliament. Congress MP & LoP Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi also joined the protest for a short time pic.twitter.com/30BgvTTM9o
— ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2025
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MGNREGS Scheme In Kerala
Meanwhile, Kerala has seen a significant drop in participation in Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). In response, the state government is considering deploying resource persons from the Social Audit Department to conduct a survey.
The workers and local authorities attribute the decline to impractical regulations, delayed wage payments, strict audits and unappealing wages, leading to a concerning dropout rate, as per a report on Manorama.
There are frequent allegations that Kerala misses out on several central government benefits due to delays in scheme implementation, reported Kerala Kaumudi. However, the actual status remains unclear as the Centre claims assistance has been provided while Kerala asserts otherwise.
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