PUDUCHERRY: All India Congress Committee (AICC) spokesperson Kannan Gopinathan announced on Monday that the Congress Working Committee (CWC) will meet on December 27 to decide on the party's course of action over the centre’s new rural employment Act.

 Addressing reporters at the Puducherry Congress office, Gopinathan criticised the BJP-led coalition government at the centre for introducing a bill to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) with a new programme titled the Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB—G RAM G). He claimed that the removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s name undermines the spirit and legacy of the original scheme introduced during the Congress regime.

The new funding pattern—under which the centre would contribute 60 per cent of the funds while states would bear the remaining 40 per cent—would place an additional financial burden on state governments, he said, adding that the changes dilute MGNREGS' objective of safeguarding employment rights of vulnerable sections, including women, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

Gopinathan also welcomed the dismissal of the Enforcement Directorate’s chargesheet in the National Herald case by a Delhi court, stating that the order vindicates Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. He alleged that the cases were politically motivated and filed to target leaders who have consistently opposed the central government's policies.

The press interaction was attended by Puducherry State Congress president and Lok Sabha member V Vaithilingam, former chief minister V Narayanasamy, MLA M Vaidyanathan, Congress coordinator Devadas, former ministers M Kandasamy and MOHF Shahjahan, former government whip RKR Anantharaman, and other party leaders.