Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) founder HD Deve Gowda on Wednesday criticised Congress for protesting against the replacement of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act. He said Congress has forgotten Mahatma Gandhi and that he wasn't concerned about Congress protesting the replacement of MGNREGA. "I am not bothered about Congress. Congress has forgotten Mahatma Gandhi. When Indira Gandhi came to power, they did not use Mahatma Gandhi's name to fight the election anywhere," Gowda told ANI.
He welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to increase the number of working days that guarantee wage employment. "He (PM Modi) has increased the number of days and asked the state to share its portion for implementing this project. Some states cross the limit by announcing so many guarantees. There is no financial discipline. In this context, the Prime Minister has taken the decision, which is welcomed by the majority of the people in the parliament," Gowda said.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge said a nationwide collective effort would be launched against the VB-G RAM G Act, asserting that the legislation weakens the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and undermines the foundations of social justice. "Dept of RDPR led an important roundtable in Delhi with over 80 participants from across the country, including civil rights groups, economists, professors, sociologists, lawyers, former judges, NGOs, and MGNREGA workers," Kharge posted on X.
"We came together to respond to the VB-GRAM G Bill and its impact on rural livelihoods," he added. Kharge underlined the significance of MGNREGA, stating, "MGNREGA was a guarantee that gave rural families confidence, dignity and stability. Weakening it strikes at the very foundation of social justice."
Moreover, Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) leader Satnam Singh Pannu on Tuesday alleged that MGNREGA is being diluted and diverted from its original objective of ensuring livelihood security for rural and working-class families. "Across the country, around 26 crore job cards have been issued under the scheme, with nearly 12 crore beneficiaries receiving employment. In Punjab alone, approximately 20 lakh job cards have been issued, and about 11 lakh workers have been getting work under MGNREGA," Pannu said.
"However, it is being alleged that the Central Government has fundamentally altered the structure of MGNREGA and introduced it in a new form, thereby undermining its original objectives," he added. Pannu further claimed that "the Central Government has taken away the powers of Gram Sabhas and Panchayats, which earlier decided development works in villages."
Earlier, the Parliament passed the VB-G RAM G Bill on December 18, and it received the President's assent on December 21. The law guarantees 125 days of wage employment per rural household, up from the existing 100 days, for adult members willing to undertake unskilled manual work.
As per Section 22 of the law, the fund-sharing pattern between the Central Government and the State Governments will be 60:40, while for the North Eastern States, Himalayan States, and Union Territories Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir it will be 90:10. Section 6 of the law allows state governments to notify in advance a period aggregating to sixty days in a financial year, covering the peak agricultural seasons of sowing and harvesting. (ANI)
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