Hyderabad Congress to launch three-day MGNREGA Bachao Sangram Yatra on Jan 24

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad District Congress Committee (DCC) will launch a three-day MGNREGA Bachao Sangram Yatra from January 24 to 26, 2026, to protest the Centre’s alleged dilution of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.

Hyderabad DCC President Syed Khalid Saifullah will lead the yatra, which is part of the Congress party’s broader national campaign to defend the constitutional Right to Work. The yatra will begin at 10 AM on January 24 at Charminar and end at Malakpet TV Tower on January 26. It will cover several divisions under Charminar, Bahadurpura, Yakutpura, Chandrayangutta, and Malakpet Assembly constituencies.

Speaking about the initiative, Khalid Saifullah said the yatra aims to directly reach citizens, especially daily-wage workers and youth, to raise awareness about how the Modi Government’s proposed changes to MGNREGA are impacting rural livelihoods. He described the policy changes as a move to convert a legal entitlement into a contractor-led scheme.

He further accused the Union Government of undermining wage security, weakening Gram Panchayats, and shifting the financial burden onto states. According to Saifullah, such changes could trigger large-scale migration to urban areas like Hyderabad, which are already grappling with unemployment.

On Thursday, Saifullah and Assembly in-charges Rajesh Kumar, Boya Nagesh, Mujeebullah Shareef, and others met TPCC President B Mahesh Kumar Goud at Gandhi Bhavan to seek formal approval for the yatra and invite his participation. Mahesh Goud is expected to join the event.

The Congress party has pledged to continue its opposition until the Union Government withdraws what it describes as anti-poor amendments to MGNREGA.