BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 21st December 2025: Tripura Congress MLA and former minister Sudip Roy Barman has strongly opposed the renaming of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to the “G Ram G Bill,” claiming that the new legislation threatens the rights of workers and could negatively impact India’s rural economy
Leading a protest rally in Agartala against the Centre’s move, Roy Barman stated that the change goes beyond a simple renaming and undermines the original intent of the MGNREGA scheme.
“On January 30, 1948, Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated in Delhi. Today, by repealing the MGNREGA Act and introducing this new bill in the name of G Ram G, it feels as though the principles Gandhiji stood for are being attacked once again,” he said, adding that the legacy of Gandhi lives on in the hearts of the people and cannot be erased.
Roy Barman raised concerns about the specific provisions of the new bill, arguing that it restricts workers’ rights. “The fundamental right of workers to demand employment has been curtailed. While the government claims that mandays have increased from 100 to 125, the central allocation of funds has been slashed by 60 percent. This means most states now have to cover 40 percent of the cost, compared to the earlier 10 percent. The Congress had demanded 200 mandays and a wage of Rs 500, but the new law falls far short,” he said.
He warned that these changes could adversely affect rural livelihoods and the overall rural economy, emphasizing that the party’s opposition is aimed at protecting the rights of labourers and workers.
