Chennai (Tamil Nadu)

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin will move a resolution in the state Assembly on Friday urging the Central Government to retain Mahatma Gandhi's name for the rural employment scheme and ensure adequate fund allocation under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005.

According to the resolution, the "Right to Work" of rural people must be upheld, and funds should be allocated on a continuous basis according to actual employment demand and state-wise performance of the scheme. It also emphasises the protection of livelihoods and social security for women, persons with disabilities, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes, who have been the primary beneficiaries of MGNREGA.

The resolution criticises the Union Government's current practice of making "arbitrary fund allocations based on notional estimates" and calls for a return to the earlier system, under which funds were distributed according to actual work demand. It further raises concerns over the proposed increase in the State Government's financial contribution to 40 per cent under the renamed scheme 'Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 (VB-G-RAM-G)', stating that this would significantly increase the financial burden on states. The resolution urges the Union Government to preserve the scheme in Mahatma Gandhi's name, in line with the principles laid down by the Father of the Nation.

The Assembly has already witnessed high drama during the inaugural session of the year on Wednesday, when Governor R N Ravi declined to read out the text prepared by the DMK government, citing "inaccuracies," and walked out. Chief Minister Stalin accused the Governor of disregarding constitutional provisions and long-standing legislative traditions, stating that the DMK would consult like-minded parties to pursue a constitutional amendment in Parliament to dispense with the Governor's Address procedure if such violations persist.

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Meanwhile, AIADMK General Secretary and Leader of Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami alleged that the Opposition was denied the opportunity to raise critical public issues in the Assembly, including farmers' distress, problems in the poultry sector affecting nearly 40,000 farmers and five lakh workers, and the spread of chikungunya across the state. Earlier on Thursday, Palaniswami said the AIADMK sought permission to raise these concerns during Zero Hour but was prevented from doing so.