5 months ago
1
Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge connected Monday (December 22, 2025) powerfully criticised the Union Government’s Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act 2025 that replaced MGNREGA, claiming that changes successful the caller authorities weaken and undermine the erstwhile act's halfway committedness arsenic a rights-based agrarian employment programme.
In a station connected societal media level 'X' (formerly Twitter), Priyank Kharge said, “The enactment would gradually marque the strategy untenable by transforming it from a demand-driven ineligible entitlement into a supply-driven arrangement, thereby stripping citizens of their close to request work.
He observed that portion the Centre would clasp astir decision-making powers, States would beryllium forced to enarthrosis the bulk of the fiscal and administrative burden.
"Much has been spoken astir the VB-G RAM G Bill. But beyond everything else, these changes volition dilatory marque the strategy untenable and yet termination the thought of a rights-based agrarian employment guarantee," Priyank Kharge, lad of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, said successful his post.
Much has been spoken astir the VB-G RAM G Bill. But beyond everything else, these changes volition dilatory marque the strategy untenable and yet termination the thought of a rights-based agrarian employment guarantee.
By converting MGNREGA from a demand-driven entitlement into a supply-driven…
The Minister, who holds Rural Development, Panchayat Raj, and Information Technology and Bio-technology portfolio, further contended that the projected changes amounted to a dilution of fiscal federalism, peculiarly astatine a clip erstwhile States are already facing shrinking fiscal resources.
He pointed retired that taxation devolution to States had fallen from 34% to 31%, acold beneath the 42% recommended by the Finance Commission, adjacent arsenic centrally sponsored schemes were becoming progressively restrictive.
By centralising powers and curbing section readying and decentralised governance, the enactment would weaken the 73rd Constitutional Amendment, which grants law presumption to Panchayati Raj Institutions, Mr. Priyank Kharge warned.
According to him, “Such centralisation would erode the relation of section bodies that are captious to the effectual implementation of MGNREGA connected the ground.”
Questioning the Union Government's rationale, the Karnataka Minister asked however the authorities could beryllium termed a betterment erstwhile it failed to meaningfully fortify the strategy for agrarian workers who beryllium connected it for livelihood security.
He maintained that reducing a ineligible close to enactment into what helium described arsenic a 'token centrally sponsored scheme' would decision the precise purpose of MGNREGA. Mallikarjun Kharge connected Sunday (December 22, 2025) slammed the Centre for doing distant with MGNREGA.
Mr. Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that Mr. Modi is purposely destroying that Act arsenic helium wants to marque mediocre villagers and workplace labourers slaves of affluent people. "Therefore, we fought for the retention of the archetypal MGNREGA, and immoderate provisions are determination (in the archetypal Act) should beryllium retained. I condemn the caller Act. It is lone helping the government," the Congress main said.
The parliament, connected December 18, passed the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G Bill), and President Droupadi Murmu connected Sunday (December 22, 2025) gave her assent to the Bill and made it an Act. This Act replaces the 20-year-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and guarantees 125 days of agrarian wage employment each year.
