Bengaluru, Dec 16 (NationPress) The Union government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is attempting to alter the name and framework of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA), revealing its disdain for the underprivileged and for Mahatma Gandhi, stated Karnataka's Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

A statement issued by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday emphasized, "Initiated by the UPA administration two decades ago, the MGNREGA scheme has been vital in combating unemployment and poverty in rural settings. This initiative, which guarantees employment rights to every citizen, has garnered accolades from economists both domestically and internationally."

“Yet, while MGNREGA was a true employment guarantee, the newly proposed framework under the Narendra Modi administration undermines that guarantee, making job assurance subject to the decisions of political leaders. This will further exacerbate caste biases and social inequity,” highlighted the CM.

The NDA government has modified the foundational structure of MGNREGA, which previously had its entire funding covered by the central government, by transferring almost 40% of the financial burden to state governments. This serves as blatant evidence of the anti-federal stance adopted by Prime Minister Modi since assuming office, remarked Siddaramaiah.

“This initiative will also boost the migration of impoverished individuals seeking work, as the new model does not ensure employment in their localities — compelling families to undertake long journeys for survival,” he added.

Designating this scheme in honor of Mahatma Gandhi, who envisioned the concept of Gram Swaraj, was a significant choice. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi enjoys lauding Gandhi during his foreign visits, domestically, he has been persistently engaged in efforts to diminish Gandhi's legacy from essential national initiatives. From a family that seeks to glorify Gandhi's assassin, Godse, what different behavior can one truly anticipate? questioned Siddaramaiah.

Narendra Modi is well-known for merely renaming landmark initiatives introduced by the UPA rather than preserving or enhancing them. It would be more fitting for this government to establish a “Ministry of Name Change,” with the Prime Minister himself overseeing that department, he criticized.

"Over 25 flagship initiatives from previous governments have been simply renamed or repackaged by the current regime. The Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan was rebranded as the Swachh Bharat Mission, while the Basic Savings Bank Deposit Account scheme was transformed into the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana.

Additionally, the Rajiv Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana was incorporated into the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana, and the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) was converted into the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT). These alterations exemplify a consistent trend of changing names rather than genuinely enhancing or expanding the original purpose of these welfare programs," stated CM Siddaramaiah.

"Our party and government vehemently oppose this anti-people decision made by the Narendra Modi administration, which has deprived the poor of their sustenance, disrespected Bapu, and sought to financially undermine state governments. We will initiate a statewide protest against this decision," he asserted.

The responsibility of safeguarding the MGNREGA scheme in its original format must also be embraced by the numerous beneficiaries of the initiative. They need to hold the state's BJP leaders accountable and pressure them to speak out against this injustice, transcending party affiliations, concluded CM Siddaramaiah.

On social media platform X, Minister for RDPR, IT and BT Priyank Kharge remarked, "In the last three years, the Narendra Modi-led Union government has drastically reduced the person-days allocated to Karnataka under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA)."

"In 2023-24, Karnataka was assigned approximately 14 crore person-days. This allocation was cut down to 13 crore person-days for 2024-25 and further slashed to a mere 9 crore person-days in 2025-26. Over the past three years, Karnataka has been deprived of 6 crore person-days," Minister Kharge stated.

This initiative serves as an employment right for the underprivileged. In the last three years alone, around 80.25 lakh impoverished families in Karnataka have benefited from this scheme. Among these, 25.63 lakh families belong to the Scheduled Castes, while 9.48 lakh families are from the Scheduled Tribes, he noted.

"Throughout the state, from 2023 to the present, over 15.94 lakh rural assets have been developed at a total expenditure of Rs 21,411 crore.

Undermining such a groundbreaking initiative — a program rooted in the employment rights of the underprivileged — and attempting to transform it into a discretionary program reliant on the inclinations of a few Central government officials is nothing short of an unforgivable act," Minister Kharge charged.

"By striving to erase not only Mahatma Gandhi's name but also his vision of 'Swaraj', the Modi administration has showcased its anti-poor stance. The Karnataka government will initiate all forms of protest against this Centre's decision," he condemned.