Goa, Jan. 10 -- The South Goa District Congress Committee has strongly criticised the BJP-led government for altering the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), claiming that the changes will severely impact the livelihoods of unskilled workers in rural areas and weaken the role of village panchayats.

Addressing the issue as part of a nationwide protest, the Congress alleged that the revamped scheme places complete control in the hands of the BJP government, thereby undermining the decentralised structure of MGNREGA. The party warned that the changes would not only affect rural employment but also have serious repercussions for village panchayats that depend on the scheme for local development works.

As part o...