Visakhapatnam: The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) leaders at 18th conference of CITU demanded repeal of Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, VB-G RAM G Act 2025 and urged for restoring and strengthening MGNREGA with enhanced work days and wages along with ensured funding by the Union Government.

At a media conference held in Visakhapatnam on Thursday, CITU State general secretary CH Narasinga Rao and general secretary Tapan Sen stressed that the Union government, which repealed Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) 2005, has totally mutilated and annihilated the legal right of the rural households to employment guarantee and unemployment allowance. “It has overturned the statutory right and entitlement into a discretionary scheme, along with imposing financial and administrative burden on the state governments undermining the federal structure of the constitution,” they stated.

They pointed out that it reverses decentralised planning of works undertaken until now by Gram Sabhas as per the 73rd constitutional amendment to the pre-defined centralised National Rural Infrastructure Stack undermining Gram Sabhas.

The CITU 18th conference, which is being held in Visakhapatnam till January 4, condemned the inhuman atrocious and dubiously-intended project of the Modi government of sabotaging, dismantling, mutilating and annihilating MGNREGA replacing it with the VB-G RAM G Act 2025.

The CITU representatives called upon the working people to come together to protest against the Union Government’s move until the enactment is repealed and MGNREGA is restored.