Shimla, Dec. 29 -- Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday, along with members of his Cabinet, staged a protest near the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the Ridge, Shimla, opposing the Central Government's decision to discontinue the MGNREGA scheme.

According to an official release, addressing those present, the Chief Minister termed the move deeply anti-rural and detrimental to the livelihood security of millions of rural families.

He said MGNREGA, conceived and implemented by the Congress-led UPA government under the leadership of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, had been a cornerstone of rural employment and inclusive growth.

He pointed out that under the earlier fram...