• The replacement of MGNREGA with a new law has sparked protests, with labourers saying work has stopped and wages remain unpaid.
• The new law promises more workdays but weakens the guarantee. Critics say it limits universality, centralises control and shifts financial risk to states.
• Experts argue that the challenges related to MGNREGA were in implementation. Scrapping a proven safety net could deepen rural distress.

Mandeshri Devi, 60, from Mahanth Maniyari village in Muzaffarpur district, and her two daughters-in-law, work as daily-wage labourers. Her two sons earn a living as masons. The family depends on the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) for work, a large-scale rural employment programme that guarantees up to 100 days of wage work per household.

“We barely get 30 to 40 days of work in a year, even though we are entitled to 100 days,” she says. “Still, the 20,000–25,000 we earn through MGNREGA is a big relief for our family.”

Now, Mandeshri Devi is protesting in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, along with hundreds of other workers. They say work has stopped since the centre introduced the Viksit Bharat — Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB–G RAM G) Bill, which replaces MGNREGA. Another protester, Rinku Devi, says she has not been paid wages for work she completed three months ago. “Now, there is no work either,” she adds.

The protest began on January 2, says Sanjay Sahni, activist and convener of MNREGA Watch in Muzaffarpur....

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