Overview

• Mallikarjun Kharge accused the Modi government of neglecting MGNREGA workers by refusing substantial wage increases beyond routine annual adjustments.
• The Congress president reiterated demands for a Rs 400 daily wage and 150 guaranteed workdays per year for rural workers under MGNREGA.
• Kharge highlighted recommendations from the 2023 Amarjeet Sinha Committee and a Joint Parliamentary Committee advocating higher wages and increased funding.
• He criticized Aadhaar-linked payment conditions, alleging they excluded nearly seven crore workers, and noted the lowest MGNREGA budget allocation in a decade.
• MGNREGA, launched by Congress in 2005, remains a focal point of rural welfare debates and political contention in India.