Congress demands increased MGNREGA wages, end to mandatory Aadhar payments ahead of Union Budget

Accusing the Modi government of neglecting MGNREGA workers, Congress on Monday demanded significant reforms in the Union Budget, including raising MGNREGA wages to ₹400 per day and scrapping mandatory Aadhar-Based Payment Bridge Systems (ABPS).

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticised the government’s policy, calling it indifferent to the plight of 9.31 crore active workers under the scheme, 75% of whom are women. He urged the government to allocate adequate funds, citing the World Bank’s recommendation of at least 1.7% of GDP, compared to the current 0.26%.

Ramesh highlighted that nearly 20% of the budget is spent on clearing past dues and pointed out the meagre 2% real wage increase despite rising inflation. He also flagged the deletion of 4 crore job cards since 2019-20, with estimates suggesting wrongful deletions in at least 15% of cases.

The Congress leader called for increasing MGNREGA workdays from 100 to 150 annually, ensuring timely wage payments within 15 days, and compensating delays. He argued that the mandatory ABPS system excludes 27% of workers, leaving them unpaid despite working. Additionally, glitches in the National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS) app have resulted in widespread issues with unregistered attendance and delayed payments.

Ramesh emphasised MGNREGA’s critical role during crises, noting its utility during the COVID-19 pandemic when households relying on the scheme surged by 33%. “MGNREGA was envisioned as a demand-driven programme, not dictated by arbitrary budgets,” he asserted.

With stagnant wages over the past decade and an ongoing economic slowdown, Congress reiterated its call for meaningful wage hikes and systemic improvements, echoing proposals from the Parliamentary Standing Committee for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj.