Centre Likely to Rename MGNREGA as ‘Pujya Bapu Gramin Rojgar Yojna’

NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet is likely to approve the renaming of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) as Pujya Bapu Gramin Rojgar Yojna, official sources indicated on Friday. The government is also set to introduce the Pujya Bapu Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Bill, which will increase the annual guaranteed employment from 100 to 125 days for rural households.

As part of the proposal, the Centre plans to allocate ₹1.51 lakh crore for the revamped scheme aimed at strengthening rural livelihoods.

Originally enacted as the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), 2005, and later renamed MGNREGA, the law is one of India’s largest social security measures ensuring the right to work. It guarantees wage employment to adult members of rural households willing to undertake unskilled manual labour.

The scheme’s core objective is to enhance livelihood security in rural areas by providing a minimum number of workdays each financial year—currently 100—which the new bill aims to raise to 125. (Agencies)