KPRS opposes proposed rural employment scheme, demands continuation of MGNREGA

Key points

• Activists of the Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha (KPRS) staged a protest outside the Kalaburagi Zilla Panchayat office on Saturday, demanding the withdrawal of the proposed Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission-Gramin (VB-GRAM G) and the continuation of the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in its existing form.
• Carrying red flags and raising slogans, the protesters alleged that the proposed scheme would undermine the livelihood security of rural labourers and weaken the employment guarantee framework that has supported millions of workers across the country.
• Led by KPRS district president Sharanabasappa Mamshetty, the protesters submitted a memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister of Karnataka and the State Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister through the Chief Executive Officer of the Kalaburagi Zilla Panchayat.
• Addressing the gathering, Mr. Mamshetty said that the MGNREGA was conceived as a rights-based programme to prevent distress migration by providing employment opportunities...