A bill that seeks to guarantee rural jobs for 125 days every year and replace the 20-year-old MNREGA was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday amid strong objections by the opposition
Share
NEW DELHI — A bill that seeks to guarantee rural jobs for 125 days every year and replace the 20-year-old MGNREGA was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday amid strong objections by the opposition to the "removal" of Mahatma Gandhi's name from it.
Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, while introducing the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025, said the government not only believes in Mahatma Gandhi but also follows his principles. "The (Narendra) Modi govt has done more for rural development than previous governments," he said.
Opposition members strongly opposed the proposed legislation at the introduction stage and pressed for sending the bill to a parliamentary panel for greater scrutiny. The MPs, including Priyanka Gandhi of the Congress, strongly objected to the "removal" of Mahatma Gandhi's name.
Opposing the bill at the introduction stage, T R Baalu of DMK said Mahatma Gandhi lived in villages and worked for the welfare of the poor there. He said then prime minister Manmohan Singh brought the "noble bill" (MNREGA), which helped the poorest of the poor get 100 days of employment.
The Father of the Nation is being "ridiculed" by the present government, he charged.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra registered her "strong objection" to the draft law, saying MNREGA was a revolutionary Act which was supported by all members of the House when it was passed.
"Under this, the poorest of the poor get 100 days of employment. This (present) bill is weakening the employment rights of the poor. It is against the Constitution," she claimed.
The MP from Kerala's Wayanad said the MGNREG Act has ensured the Centre provides 90 per cent of the funds for the works undertaken under the law.
"It will be reduced to 60 per cent now. This will hit the finances of the state governments, especially those waiting for GST compensation, she pointed out. "Under this bill, the Centre's control over the scheme will increase, but its responsibility will come down."
Responding to certain remarks by some ruling party MPs, she said Mahatma Gandhi was not from her family, but he was from every family in the country. She proposed sending the bill to a parliamentary panel.
Congress' Shashi Tharoor took a sharp dig at the government while opposing the VB-G RAM G bill, recalling the 1971 hit Bollywood number -- "Dekho o deewano (tum) ye kaam na karo, Ram ka naam badnaam na karo (don't sully Lord Ram's name)".
Tharoor asserted that the bill is not merely an administrative tweak but an "assault on the very spirit and philosophical foundation of this crucial programme".
The opposition members also came to the Well of the House, holding up photographs of Mahatma Gandhi, expressing their disapproval of the "removal" of the name of the Father of the Nation.
According to a copy of the Bill, it will provide a statutory guarantee of 125 days of wage employment in a financial year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to undertake unskilled manual work.
Within six months from the date of commencement of the VB-G RAM G Act, states will have to make a scheme consistent with the provisions of the new law.
In a statement, the Rural Development Ministry said the proposed legislation will establish a modern statutory framework aligned with the goal of 'Viksit Bharat 2047'.
It said the Bill aims to create both employment and durable rural infrastructure through four priority verticals -- water security through water-related works, core rural infrastructure, livelihood-related infrastructure, and special works to mitigate extreme weather events.
All assets created are aggregated into the Viksit Bharat National Rural Infrastructure Stack, ensuring a unified, coordinated national development strategy, the statement said.
The ministry termed it a "major upgrade" over MGNREGA, fixing structural weaknesses while enhancing employment, transparency, planning, and accountability.