Chikkaballapur, Feb. 23 -- Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramiah on Monday expressed serious concern over the impact of discontinuation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme, claiming that nearly 16.12 crore people have lost their jobs, of whom 53 per cent are women and 28 per cent belong to the Scheduled Castes community.

Addressing the "MGNREGA Bachao" protest in Chikkaballapur, the Chief Minister emphasised that the scheme had earlier guaranteed 100 days of wage employment to rural labourers and supported the operations of Gram Panchayats.

He alleged that the discontinuation of MGNREGA has adversely affected rural livelihoods and left Gram Panchayats without adequate work. Stressing the importa...