By: Express News ServiceShimla | December 20, 2025 06:23 AM IST 2 min readPresiding over the closing ceremony of the 'Indora Utsav' in Kangra district's Indora, the chief minister said abolition of MGNREGA was an injustice to the poor and the state government would firmly oppose this move.Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday condemned the Union government’s decision to abolish the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and replace it with a new legislation.Sukhu said the MGNREGA has been the world’s largest employment scheme and a lifeline for the poor, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.Presiding over the closing ceremony of the ‘Indora Utsav’ in Kangra district’s Indora, the chief minister said abolition of MGNREGA was an injustice to the poor and the state government would firmly oppose this move.The chief minister appreciated the festival organised on the theme ‘Chitta-Free Himachal’, and announced that Indora Utsav would soon be granted district-level status.He said, “By abolishing the MGNREGA, the central government is going to harm the marginalised and poor sections of the Indian society. MGNREGA gives a guarantee to lakhs of people, including women, especially in the rural areas, to earn their livelihoods. This decision on the part of the central government is an injustice to society.”Speaking on the occasion, Sukhu said the “Chitta-Free Himachal” campaign has become a mass movement. Illegal properties worth Rs 50 crore linked to drug trafficking have been seized so far, and the remaining illicit assets will be destroyed within six months.”Sukhu appealed to the public and panchayats to support the campaign and urged citizens to share information through the emergency number 112, assuring full confidentiality and rewards ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 10 lakh.Story continues below this adHighlighting steps towards self-reliance, the chief minister said the government won the Hotel WildFlower Hall case, which was in litigation for the past 23 years.The decision of the apex court will help the state generate Rs 20 crore annually. The efforts of the state government yielded results, as now the JSW operating Karcham-Wangtoo project has to pay 18 per cent royalty to the state instead of 12 per cent earlier, which will generate Rs 150 crore additional income to the state per year. Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:ShimlaSukhvinder Singh Sukhu