MGNREGA Row: Congress Announces Nationwide Padayatra from Feb 9
Senior leaders, including D.K. Shivakumar, expected to join four day march from Sullia to Mulki protesting funding shift and renaming of the rural job scheme.
New Delhi, Feb 06 : The Dakshina Kannada District Congress Committee has announced a four-day, district-wide padayatra from February 9 to protest the Union Government’s reported restructuring of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and the removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the programme.
District Congress President Harish Kumar said the 100-km march is intended to draw attention to what the party describes as policies that adversely impact rural workers and weaken employment guarantees. The yatra will begin in Sullia and conclude in Mulki, covering roughly 25 km each day.
Several senior Congress leaders are expected to participate, including Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and Ministers Dinesh Gundu Rao, Santosh Lad, Priyank Kharge, and Krishna Byre Gowda.
Padayatra route and schedule
The march will commence at 8:30 AM on February 9 from Gandhinagar in Sullia and proceed to Kumbra Junction. On February 10, participants will walk from Kumbra to Kalladka, followed by the Kalladka-to-Lalbagh (Mangaluru) stretch on February 11. The final leg on February 12 will connect Lalbagh to Mulki. Public conventions are planned at the end of each day to inform residents about the proposed policy changes.
Concerns over funding and control
Harish Kumar stated that when the employment scheme was introduced during the Manmohan Singh-led government, Gram Panchayats had operational authority and the funding pattern placed a larger share on the Centre. He alleged that under the newly branded framework, administrative control has shifted while states are expected to shoulder a significantly higher financial responsibility.
MLC Ivan D’Souza also criticised the reported renaming of the scheme and changes to employment provisions, calling them measures that could dilute its original intent. He said the party would continue its campaign until what it considers the core features of the programme are reinstated.
