Congress Intensifies Attack on Govt’s Plan to Replace MGNREGA with VB-G RAM G Bill

NEW DELHI- The Congress party has launched a fierce offensive against the Narendra Modi government’s introduction of the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025, which seeks to repeal and replace the iconic Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, led the charge today, calling the move a “direct insult to the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi” and accusing Prime Minister Modi of harboring “deep dislike” for Gandhian principles and the rights of the poor.

In a strongly worded post on X, Rahul Gandhi stated: “Modi ji has a deep dislike for two things – the ideas of Mahatma Gandhi and the rights of the poor. MGNREGA is the living embodiment of Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of Gram Swaraj. It has been a lifeline for millions of rural Indians and proved to be a crucial economic safety net during the COVID pandemic.”

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He alleged that the government has systematically weakened the scheme over the past decade and is now intent on “wiping it out completely.”

Gandhi highlighted three core principles of MGNREGA that he claims are being undermined:

• Legal right to employment on demand.
• Autonomy for villages to decide development works.
• Full central funding for wages and 75% of material costs.

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Under the new bill, he argued, control would centralize with budgets and rules dictated by the Centre, states forced to bear 40% costs, and workers potentially denied jobs when funds deplete or during harvest seasons. “After destroying the future of India’s youth through massive unemployment, the Modi Government is now targeting the secure livelihood of poor rural families. From Sadak to Sansad, we will oppose this anti-people bill,” he declared.

The bill, introduced in Lok Sabha by Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan amid protests, proposes:

• Increasing guaranteed wage employment from 100 to 125 days per rural household.
• Focus on durable assets like water conservation and climate-resilient infrastructure.
• Shifting to a 60:40 funding ratio (Centre:States) for most states (90:10 for Northeast and Himalayan states).
• Normative allocations instead of demand-driven funding.

Opposition MPs, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, protested in Parliament, accusing the government of erasing Mahatma Gandhi’s name and legacy. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge called it a “BJP-RSS conspiracy” to dismantle a rights-based welfare scheme.

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In response, the Congress has announced nationwide protests on December 17 at district headquarters, with workers displaying portraits of Mahatma Gandhi. Further programs are planned for the party’s Foundation Day on December 28 across blocks and villages.

Even NDA ally TDP has raised concerns over the increased financial burden on states. The controversy has disrupted Parliament proceedings, with the opposition demanding withdrawal of the bill and wider consultations.

MGNREGA, enacted in 2005 under the UPA government, remains a flagship rural safety net, though critics from the ruling side point to past issues like leakages and inefficiencies necessitating reforms. The debate underscores deep ideological divides, with Congress vowing to defend the scheme “in Parliament and on the streets.”