By Tripura24 News Desk | Agartala Monday, February 9, 2026
AGARTALA: Escalating its protest against the central government’s recent overhaul of rural employment laws, the Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) held a high-level strategic meeting today at the Pradesh Congress Bhavan. The meeting was convened to finalize the roadmap for the upcoming state-level protest aimed at saving the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
Call for Raj Bhavan March
Addressing the media following the deliberations, Pradesh Congress President Shri Ashish Kumar Saha announced that the party would launch a massive ‘Raj Bhavan Abhiyan’ (March to Governor’s House) on February 16, 2026.
“The BJP government is systematically dismantling the legal guarantee of work that has been the lifeline for millions of rural families. On February 16, Congress workers and supporters from across the state will march to Raj Bhavan to submit a memorandum to the Governor, demanding the immediate restoration of MGNREGA in its original form and the repeal of the VB-G RAM G Act,” President Ashish Kumar Saha declared.
Key Leaders in Attendance
The meeting saw the participation of top-tier leadership, including:
- Shri Sudip Roy Barman, Senior MLA and AICC Member.
- Shri Ashish Kumar Saha, TPCC President.
- Senior office-bearers, district presidents, and heads of various frontal organizations.
Focus of the ‘MNREGA Bachao’ Campaign
The leaders discussed the severe impact of the newly introduced Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (VB-G RAM G) Act, which replaces the MGNREGA. Sudip Roy Barman highlighted that the new law:
- Strips Legal Rights: It transforms a demand-driven “right to work” into a “central mission,” allowing the government to decide when and where work is provided.
- Financial Burden on States: Unlike MGNREGA, where the Centre bore the lion’s share, the new law reportedly requires states to contribute 40% of wage costs, which could cripple Tripura’s already strained state exchequer.
- Erasing Legacy: The leaders also condemned the removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the scheme, calling it an insult to the Father of the Nation.
Strategic Mobilization
The TPCC noted that following successful district-level protests on February 6, the party is now moving toward a centralized state-level agitation. A state-level coordination committee has been formed to ensure that thousands of rural workers and job cardholders can join the February 16 march in the capital.
The Congress leadership warned that if the government does not address the rising rural distress and restore the employment guarantee, the ‘MNREGA Bachao Sangram’ will intensify into a “Jail Bharo” movement across Tripura.
