The Nagaland Pradesh Mahila Congress Committee (NPMCC) on Saturday announced a statewide campaign to defend MGNREGA, highlighting delays in wage payments, reduced workdays, and exclusion of vulnerable women from the workforce. The announcement came during an executive and organizational meeting held at Congress Bhavan, Dimapur, under the theme “Save MGNREGA.”
Speaking at the meeting, Lhingkim Haokip, General Secretary of All India Mahila Congress and Incharge Northeast, emphasized that MGNREGA is a constitutional right, not a government favor. She criticized the central government for undermining the scheme through “inadequate budgeting, payment delays, and administrative hurdles that disproportionately affect women workers.”
Neojila Yim, Vice President of NPMCC, stressed the critical role of MGNREGA in securing livelihoods for rural and tribal women in Nagaland.
She expressed concern over the “systematic weakening” of the scheme, which threatens the economic security and dignity of women across the state.
The meeting also heard reports from district-level leaders on the ground-level impact of delayed wages and reduced workdays, highlighting the economic distress faced by women workers.
NPMCC resolved to: Organize grassroots awareness campaigns on MGNREGA rights; Document and escalate cases of wage delays and work denial; Mobilize women across districts for peaceful, democratic protests; and Engage MPs and MLAs to raise the issue in Parliament and the State Assembly.
The organization said it stands united with women workers across India in the fight to protect MGNREGA and secure economic justice, dignity, and empowerment.
Haokip warned that the movement will intensify if delays and administrative hurdles persist, signaling potential statewide mobilization.
