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The Karnataka government had intended to use the Governor’s speech to launch a scathing critique of the Union Government’s decision to repeal MGNREGA.
Thaawarchand Gehlot concluded his address after reading just a few opening lines, leading to an uproar in Vidhana Soudha.
Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Thursday cut short his customary address to the joint session of the state legislature at Vidhana Soudha as he refused to read the full speech prepared by the Siddaramaiah government. He concluded his address after reading just a few opening lines, leading to an uproar in Vidhana Soudha.
The Karnataka government had intended to use the Governor’s speech to the joint legislature to launch a scathing critique of the Union Government’s decision to repeal the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). CNN-News18 has accessed the copy of the speech which was to be delivered by the Governor today.
The address, which was prepared by the government and skipped by the Governor, characterised the repeal as a significant blow to the rural economy, arguing that the move has weakened rural life and deprived wage labourers, small farmers, and women of their statutory rights to employment and unemployment allowance. The state government emphasised that MGNREGA had been a monumental chapter in India’s development journey and a symbol of progress that has now been consigned to oblivion by the Centre.
“If villages perish, India will perish. The message that this country has to give to the world will disappear. Village regeneration is possible only when exploitation of villages completely ceases. All our attention must be focused on making villages self-reliant,” it said.
A central point of contention raised in the speech was the structural shift from a rights-based framework to a supply-driven model under the new “VB G Ram G Act”. The speech noted that while Section 3 of the original MGNREGA mandated that every person applying for work must be provided employment, the new legislation has dismantled this demand-based principle. The state government alleged that the new scheme is designed primarily to protect corporate capitalist interests rather than ensuring rural welfare, effectively undermining the noble objectives of creating rural assets and providing employment at the laborer’s place of residence.
The speech also highlighted a severe erosion of the decentralised governance structure envisioned by Mahatma Gandhi, specifically the concept of “Gram Swaraj”. Under the previous system, works were decided and implemented through Gram Sabhas, empowering local communities.
However, the speech stated that the new law has curtailed the powers of Gram Sabhas through centralised norms, replacing local decision-making with a council of officials in Delhi that determines where the scheme will be implemented. The state argued that this centralisation is anti-democratic and ignores the demands of the majority, effectively uprooting the decentralised framework that serves as a foundational pillar of Indian democracy.
Concerns regarding social security and migration were also prominent in the address. The government warned that while MGNREGA had significantly reduced distress migration, the new VB G Ram G scheme threatens to reinstate migration to cities as people search for employment. Furthermore, the speech criticised the new law for placing labourers under the control of contractors and diminishing opportunities to revise wages based on inflation and price rises, thereby diluting worker-centric rights. The removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the scheme was also noted with disapproval.
Finally, the Governor’s address, which he skipped, raised serious issues regarding federalism and financial burden. The state government condemned the Centre for failing to consult states before repealing the employment guarantee law, terming such actions as unconstitutional conduct given that centrally sponsored schemes require state participation.
“The Union Government must seriously consider that economically suppressing Karnataka, which occupies a driving position in the national economy, will adversely affect the entire country,” the speech noted.
The speech pointed out that states, already “under financial stress due to union policies”, are now forced to contribute 40 per cent of the funding under the new law, with the threat that funds will be withheld if they fail to do so. “For all these reasons, my Government demands that the Union Government immediately repeal the VB G Ram G law and restore the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, which safeguards the poor, agricultural labourers, rural asset creation, unemployment allowance, and employment at the place of their residence,” the speech read.
January 22, 2026, 12:57 IST
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