Dibrugarh: Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Paban Singh Ghatowar on Saturday criticised the Centre for dropping Mahatma Gandhi’s name while rebranding MGNREGA. He described the move as “unfortunate and surprising”.
Speaking to the media at Rajiv Bhavan in Dibrugarh, Ghatowar strongly objected to the renaming of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act as the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Grameen), or VB G RAM G.
According to him, the removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s name raises serious concerns. “MGNREGA is not just a welfare scheme. It carries the legacy of the Father of the Nation and stands for dignity of labour and social security for the poorest,” he said.
Moreover, Ghatowar pointed out that the UPA-era scheme has served as a crucial safety net for millions of rural families across India.
By dropping Gandhi’s name, he argued, the Centre is attempting to distance the programme from its original values and intent. “This appears to be a deliberate effort to rewrite history and undermine the contributions of previous governments,” he said.
He further added that Mahatma Gandhi’s name symbolised a firm commitment to rural upliftment. Its removal, he said, reflects a larger shift away from those core principles.
Meanwhile, Ghatowar’s remarks have added to the growing political backlash against the rebranding. Opposition parties have described the move as vendetta politics aimed at erasing the legacy of the Congress-led UPA.