By Tripura24 News Desk | Agartala Tuesday, February 3, 2026
AGARTALA: Raising a battle cry against the central government’s recent legislative changes to rural employment, the Tripura Pradesh Mahila Congress organized a high-voltage press conference today at the Pradesh Congress Bhavan. The leadership officially launched the state-level chapter of the “MNREGA Bachao Sangram” (Save MNREGA Struggle), aimed at resisting the replacement of the historic employment guarantee scheme with the new VB-G RAM G Act.
A “Deadly Blow” to Women’s Economic Dignity
Addressing the media, Tripura Pradesh Mahila Congress leaders expressed grave concern over the Union Budget 2026-27. They alleged that the budget has effectively “signed the death warrant” of MNREGA by centralizing control and removing the legal guarantee of work that rural women have relied on for nearly two decades.
“MNREGA was not just a scheme; it was a lifeline for the women of Tripura’s hills and plains. By replacing it with the VB-G RAM G Mission, the Modi government has snatched away the legal right to work. This budget is anti-poor, anti-women, and designed to push rural families back into the clutches of poverty,” the Mahila Congress spokesperson stated.
Key Issues Raised in the Press Conference:
- Restoration of MNREGA: The primary demand of the ‘Sangram’ is the complete withdrawal of the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (VB-G RAM G) and the restoration of the original 2005 Act.
- Budgetary Shortfall: Leaders argued that while the government claims to support rural India, the 2026 budget allocation of approximately ₹95,692 crore is woefully inadequate to provide even 100 days of work to the existing job card holders.
- Centralization vs. Panchayats: The Mahila Congress alleged that the new law strips power from local Panchayats and Village Committees, making rural workers dependent on “whims and fancies” from New Delhi.
- Economic Insecurity: The speakers highlighted that with shrinking employment avenues, distress migration among rural youth in Tripura is likely to spike.
Protest Roadmap: From Villages to the Capital
The Mahila Congress announced a month-long agitation schedule to mobilize women across the state:
- Panchayat Meetings: Mass contact programs to educate rural women about the “loss of their rights” under the new Act.
- District Rallies: Major protests at all district headquarters between February 16 and 25.
- ‘Mitti ka Sandesh’: Workers will collect soil from their local MNREGA work sites to be sent to the Governor as a symbol of their hard work and struggle.
Call for Unity
The conference concluded with a call for all democratic forces and rural workers to join the ‘Sangram’. The Mahila Congress leaders warned that if the legal guarantee to work is not restored, they would launch a state-wide “Jail Bharo” agitation to protect the future of Tripura’s rural economy.
