Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president M.K. Stalin on Sunday strongly criticised the BJP-led Union government for its reported move to rechristen the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), calling it an attempt to undermine a landmark welfare programme.In a sharp post on X, Stalin alleged that the Centre, driven by “vengeance against the Father of the Nation”, had removed Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the scheme and proposed a new North Indian name that, he said, many could not even pronounce. The Centre is reportedly planning to rename MGNREGS as the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025.
Stalin pointed out that MGNREGS guarantees 100 days of employment every year and was originally fully funded by the Union government. However, he alleged that the Centre now provides only 60 per cent of the funds, shifting the burden to states.
The Chief Minister further claimed that Tamil Nadu was being “punished” for its success in reducing poverty. He said the state was facing reduced allocations under the scheme simply because it had made significant progress in poverty eradication.
Accusing the BJP government of trying to weaken a scheme that had helped crores of people escape poverty and live with dignity, Stalin said people would once again force the Centre to retreat. Drawing parallels with the rollback of the three farm laws and the Centre’s stand on caste census, he asserted that public pressure would compel the Union government to abandon any attempt to dilute or dismantle MGNREGS.