NREGA Sangharsh Morcha slams Union budget, citing betrayal of rural workers

By A Representative

The NREGA Sangharsh Morcha (NSM) has strongly criticized the Union Budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year, alleging it betrays Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) workers and demonstrates the government's continued neglect of the rural workforce.

The budget allocation for MGNREGA remains at ₹86,000 crores, which, after adjusting for inflation, represents an approximate ₹4,000 crore decrease compared to the previous year. The allocation as a percentage of GDP has also fallen to a mere 0.24%, down from 0.26% in the last fiscal year. The budget also fails to account for routine wage indexation.

The NSM argues this inadequate funding will lead to several critical issues: massive delays in wage payments, further straining the financial stability of millions of rural workers; suppression of work demand, denying individuals their legal right to employment; and a decline in the creation of quality assets, weakening rural infrastructure.

The Morcha highlighted the current fiscal year's funding shortfall. As of February 1st, the deficit stands at ₹9,860 crores, with pending wages of ₹6,948.55 crores as of January 25th. With two months remaining in the financial year, the NSM points out that historically, an average of 20% of the budget is used to clear past dues. This pattern suggests the effective allocation for FY 2025-26 will likely be no more than ₹70,000 crores.

Data from the current fiscal year paints a grim picture, with person-days generated at 239.67 crore (as of February 1st, 2025), average workdays per household at just 44.62, and only 20,77,014 households completing 100 days of work. The NSM asserts this demonstrates the government's lack of commitment to fulfilling its legal obligations under MGNREGA.

The NSM contends that the government's strategy of a low initial allocation is a deliberate attempt to suppress work demand. They argue that a larger MGNREGA budget could have significantly boosted rural demand, especially at a time when the government is focusing on middle-class tax relief. They claim that inadequate budgets lead to wage delays, forcing workers into distress and discouraging participation in the program.

The NSM also noted that the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj had previously flagged the funding shortage as a major obstacle to MGNREGA's implementation, emphasizing its impact on timely wage payments and overall progress. The Committee had recommended increased funding, but these recommendations have been ignored.

The NSM recalled a December 2024 briefing of Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on the consequences of insufficient funding. They expressed disappointment that these concerns were not addressed in the budget. Despite protests and representations by workers, the NSM concludes that the government's actions represent a betrayal of those who depend on MGNREGA for survival.

Comments

Designing the edge, erasing the river: Sabarmati Riverfront and the dissonance between ecology and planning

By Mansee Bal Bhargava, Parth Patel Across India, old black-and-white images of the Sabarmati River are often juxtaposed with vibrant photos of the modern Sabarmati Riverfront. This visual contrast is frequently showcased as a model of development, with the Sabarmati Riverfront serving as a blueprint for over a hundred proposed riverfront projects nationwide. These images are used to forge an implicit public consensus on a singular idea of development—shifting from a messy, evolving relationship between land and water to a rigid, one-time design intervention. The notion of regulating the unregulated has been deeply embedded into public consciousness—especially among city makers, planners, and designers. Urban rivers across India are undergoing a dramatic transformation, not only in terms of their land-water composition but in the very way we understand and define them. Here, we focus on one critical aspect of that transformation: the river’s edge.

Top civil rights leader announces plan to lead delegation to Pakistan amidst post-war tensions

By A Representative In a significant move, well-known academic and civil rights leader Sandeep Pandey has announced the plan to send a 22-member delegation to Pakistan to engage in dialogue with its government and civil society. The delegation proposed to go to Pakistan under the banner of Socialist Party (India) as a fact-finding mission to help seek solution to continuing tensions between the two countries over the fallout of the Pahalgam terror attack.

J&K's Mallabuchan villagers symbolically cut Off pipeline in protest against ‘water injustice’

By A Representative In a striking act of peaceful protest, residents of Mallabuchan village in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam district symbolically disconnected the Ahmadpora-Tangmarg water pipeline on Thursday, denouncing decades of official neglect and violation of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) norms.

Primary sources of the underground Naxalite movement (1965–71): An analytical compilation

By Harsh Thakor* Voices from the Underground: Select Naxalite Documents (1965–71) is a compilation of documents and writings related to the Naxalite movement, spanning the period between 1965 and 1992. The collection includes materials not widely available through mainstream publishers and often considered controversial by the state. It is divided into two sections and contains eighteen documents authored by individuals associated with the movement.

A healthier model for goat-based livelihoods in remote Madhya Pradesh villages

By Bharat Dogra While buffaloes and cows often receive greater attention in animal husbandry-related government development schemes, goats remain vital for poorer households. Therefore, enhancing goat-based livelihoods is especially important for marginalized communities—particularly when such efforts reduce villagers' costs and lower goat mortality rates. One promising strategy involves training local villagers, especially women, to provide essential veterinary services. A welcome byproduct of this is that several women gain a respected source of income within their own villages.

Relevance of historical foot marches like Dandi and Salt march in achieving developmental goals in India

By Bharat Dogra India has a great tradition of organizing foot marches, including some which become historically very important, the most obvious example being the Dandi Salt March under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi which is a very important chapter in the freedom movement of India.

Few Bollywood actors possessed Sanjeev Kumar's subtle detachment and sensitivity

By Harsh Thakor On 9th July, we celebrated the 85th birthday of legendary Hindi film actor, Sanjeev Kumar., known as Haribhai Jariwala. Sanjeev Kumar penetrated zones of versatility or acting craft, almost unparalleled in Hindi cinema. He was one one the very few who touched horizons of true genius, transcending regions in acting virtually unexplored. Rarely did any artist get stuck as thickly into the skin of the character. The diversity of expressions in his moves reminded one of the different water colours of a painting. Sanjeev manifested the ventures of an artist to tap the regions unexplored. He simply defied all conventions of Bollywood, making path breaking experiments. His acting had a subtle degree detachment and sensitivity, which few Bollywood actors ever possessed. He may not have possessed the drop dead looks of a Dev Anand, Dharmendra or Sashi Kapoor or the professionalism or star charisma of an Amitabh Bachan, Rajesh Khanna or Shah Rukh Khan. However in pure acting...

Ecological alarm over pumped storage projects in Western Ghats: Policy analyst writes to PM

By A Representative In a detailed letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, energy and climate policy analyst Shankar Sharma has raised grave concerns over the escalating approval and construction of Pumped Storage Projects (PSPs) across India’s ecologically fragile river valleys. He has warned that these projects, if pursued unchecked, could result in irreparable damage to the country’s riverine ecology, biodiversity hotspots, and forest wealth—particularly in the Western Ghats.

Guru Dutt: The melancholy visionary who redefined Indian cinema

By Harsh Thakor* Iconic Indian director and actor Guru Dutt was just 39 years old when he died in 1964, but he left behind a cinematic legacy that continues to resonate. On July 9, the world marks the birth centenary of this cinematic wizard. Guru Dutt, whose name epitomises the golden era of Indian cinema, left an indelible mark with his talents as a director, producer, and actor. He elevated the art of filmmaking to new heights, bringing innovative storytelling to unexplored domains. Like the protagonist of "Pyaasa", true recognition came to Dutt only after his passing. Cinema enthusiasts continue to wonder what more he might have achieved had he lived longer.

Search This Blog