Congress cadres in Virudhunagar district go on hunger strike for retrieval of MGNREGA

Scores of Congress cadres took part in a hunger strike protest against the Centre for withdrawing Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act scheme and replacing it with The Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Gramin Act, in Virudhunagar on Sunday (January 11, 2026).

Virudhunagar MP B. Manickam Tagore, Sivakasi MLA G. Ashokan, and party district presidents Sreeraja Chokkar and Rengasamy, took part in the hunger strike in front Virudhunagar railway junction.

Talking to reporters, the Congress MP said that the hunger protest is part of 45-day-long series of protest planned by the Congress across the nation for retrieval of MGNREGA scheme.

“Around 7 lakh Congress men are participating in the hunger strike across the nation. We have also planned to meet the villagers, protest in front of district Collectorates and then in front of Lok Bhavan,” he said.

All the Congressmen who have faith in Gandhian principles are participating in the protest.

“We want to bring back MGNREGA which has been withdrawn by the Centre. From April 1, VB-G RAM G will come into force. MGNREGA guaranteed job for every person who register seeking job with the rural local body for which 90% of the funds would be given by the Centre. However, under the new scheme, there is no guarantee for giving employment for person seeking job,” he said.

Besides, since the new Act mandated the State to share 40% of the funds for the job scheme, it would become a failure if the State cannot give its fund, he added. Further, not all panchayats will be able to give jobs. Only those panchayats which are selected will be able to provide jobs, he added.

“The BJP played the fraud with the people by promising to give ₹15 lakh each in the past. Whether the allowance would be given will be known within the first two months on implementation of the scheme,” he added.

Similarly, he said that the change of rules under the scheme to make use of funds to create assets would also not work, he said. “We are demanding job for the rural poor. But, the BJP was aiming to get commission from contractors by using the scheme to construct buildings,” he added.