Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Saturday accused the Modi government of "systematically throttling" MGNREGA, and demanded a hike in its budget as it is the "lifeline" of crores of India's poorest communities. "MGNREGA - the lifeline of crores of India's poorest communities - is being systematically throttled by the non-biological PM's government. "Budget allocations are being cut relentlessly, and wage rates have been stagnant. Now, through an ill-conceived reliance on technology, workers are being denied their right to work and their right to fair payment," Ramesh said in a statement. The Congress leader who served as the Union rural development minister in the UPA-2 government, said that in January 2024, the rural development ministry mandated the nationwide implementation of Aadhaar-Based Payment System (ABPS) for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). To be eligible for ABPS, workers must meet several conditions, including linking Aadhaar to .