Karnataka CM Criticizes Modi Government’s Move to Dilute MGNREGA, Calls It Anti-Poor

Bengaluru, Dec 2025 : Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has strongly condemned the Union government’s attempts to change the name and structure of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA), calling it a move that exposes a deep-seated bias against the poor and undermines Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy.

In a press statement released on Tuesday, CM Siddaramaiah said, “Implemented by the UPA government 20 years ago, MGNREGA has played a pivotal role in eradicating unemployment and alleviating rural poverty. This scheme, which guarantees the right to employment for every individual, has consistently received appreciation from economists in India and abroad.”

He highlighted that the proposed modifications under the Modi government strip away this employment guarantee, placing access to work at the discretion of political leaders. “Such a move will exacerbate caste discrimination and deepen social inequality,” he warned.

The CM pointed out that the NDA government has altered the financial framework of MGNREGA. Previously, the entire expenditure was borne by the Central government, but now nearly 40 percent of the cost has been shifted to state governments, which Siddaramaiah described as evidence of the Prime Minister’s “anti-federal approach.”

“This structural change will also lead to greater migration of poor families in search of work, as employment will no longer be guaranteed locally, forcing people to travel long distances to survive,” the CM added.

Siddaramaiah also criticized the government’s attempt to strip Gandhi’s name from the scheme, stating that naming it after Mahatma Gandhi, the architect of Gram Swaraj, was a meaningful decision. He said, “While Prime Minister Modi praises Gandhi on international tours, within the country he has consistently worked to erase Gandhi’s legacy from key national programs. From a political family that glorifies Gandhi’s assassin, Godse, what else could one expect?”

The CM further condemned the government’s broader trend of renaming flagship schemes rather than strengthening them. “It would be more fitting for this government to start a **‘Ministry of Name Change,’ with the Prime Minister himself holding that portfolio,” he remarked.

He listed several examples: the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan was rebranded as the Swachh Bharat Mission, the Basic Savings Bank Deposit Account scheme became the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, the Rajiv Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana was subsumed into the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana, and the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) became AMRUT. “These changes reveal a pattern of merely altering names rather than improving or expanding the original welfare objectives,” CM Siddaramaiah stated.

He warned that the Modi government’s actions have snatched food from the plates of the poor, insulted Bapu, and imposed financial burdens on state governments. “Our party will launch a statewide agitation against this anti-people decision,” he asserted.

Siddaramaiah urged beneficiaries of MGNREGA to take responsibility for preserving the scheme in its original form, hold BJP leaders accountable, and raise their voices against this injustice, transcending party lines.

Adding to the criticism, Minister for RDPR, IT, and BT Priyank Kharge took to social media to highlight that the Modi-led government has steadily reduced Karnataka’s MGNREGA allocations over the past three years.

He revealed, “In 2023-24, Karnataka was allotted about 14 crore person-days. This was reduced to 13 crore in 2024-25, and further cut to just 9 crore in 2025-26. In total, Karnataka has been denied 6 crore person-days over the last three years.”

Minister Kharge emphasized that MGNREGA is a fundamental employment right for the poor. “Over the past three years alone, 80.25 lakh poor families in Karnataka have been provided employment under this scheme. Of these, 25.63 lakh families belong to Scheduled Castes and 9.48 lakh families are from Scheduled Tribes,” he said.

He also noted that from 2023 to date, more than 15.94 lakh rural assets have been created in the state at a total cost of Rs 21,411 crore, benefiting communities and strengthening local infrastructure.

“Diluting a revolutionary scheme like MGNREGA—built on the employment rights of the poor—and converting it into a discretionary program dependent on a handful of officials is nothing short of an unpardonable offence,” Kharge charged.

He added, “By attempting to erase not just Mahatma Gandhi’s name but also his vision of Swaraj, the Modi government has demonstrated its anti-poor stance. The Karnataka government will launch all forms of protest against this move by the Centre,” he concluded.

The combined statements by CM Siddaramaiah and Minister Kharge underscore the Karnataka government’s commitment to preserving MGNREGA as a guaranteed right, ensuring employment security for rural families, and mobilizing public action against the Centre’s proposed changes.

Team Maverick