3 hours ago
1
With the Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act (VB-G RAM G), 2025, acceptable to rotation retired nationwide from July 1, the Karnataka authorities is preparing to rise concerns implicit the 60:40 fund-sharing model, minimum wages, the projected 60-day intermission window, and what it sees arsenic inadequate powers being granted to States nether the draught rules.
Minimum wages
Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) Eshwar Khandre told The Hindu that Karnataka had precocious notified a revision successful minimum wages by an mean of 60%. He said the State would impulse the Union authorities to instrumentality the revised rates into relationship portion fixing wages for workers nether the caller scheme.
The Minister added that the Union authorities had informed the State that a Central Wage Board would deliberate connected the contented and that a gathering would be convened to determine the wage rates.
Funding pattern
The Minister said that State would further request the Union authorities to reconsider the backing signifier and follow an 80:20 model, with States contributing 20% of the funds. “The 60:40 backing model, which requires States to carnivore 40% of the expenditure, puts an excessive load connected them astatine a clip erstwhile they are already nether sizeable fiscal stress,” Mr. Khandre said.
Karnataka is among the 4 States, on with Mizoram, Telangana, and Jharkhand, which is yet to submit the procedural details sought by the Centre.
On June 9, Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan released the interim fund for the caller Act, with a full allocation of ₹95,692.31 crore. Karnataka has been allocated ₹5,709.9 crore.
Karnataka’s expense
Mr. Khandre pointed retired that nether the projected backing arrangement, Karnataka would be required to lend adjacent to ₹3,800 crore towards the scheme. “This volition necessitate a abstracted budgetary allocation, which has not been made truthful far. The substance volition besides beryllium discussed with Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to petition a abstracted allocation,” helium said, acknowledging that the fixed funds are not capable and that other load successful lawsuit of demands would again beryllium pushed connected to the State.
The State volition besides entity to the projected 60-day intermission model during which each VB-G RAM G works would beryllium suspended, arsenic envisaged successful the draught rules.
“Since 2006, erstwhile MGNREGA was implemented, enactment has been disposable passim the year. Why should determination beryllium a pause now?” the Minister asked. He argued that it runs contrary to the objective of providing continuous livelihood support. “Workers request employment passim the year. Any proviso that risks distress migration indispensable beryllium reconsidered,” helium said.
Greater autonomy
The Minister further argued that portion the draught rules suggest that works nether the new programme would beryllium taken up based on “national” priorities identified by the Union government, Karnataka would question greater autonomy successful deciding the quality of works undertaken wrong the State.
“Several works that were previously permitted may nary longer beryllium available, portion others volition be prioritised based connected what the Union authorities describes arsenic nationalist priorities. We volition urge that isolated from nationalist precedence works, States beryllium fixed greater authorization to determine the works that champion suit section needs,” helium said. “In the involvement and payment of workers, we volition spell up with the implementation arsenic directed by the Union government, but we volition powerfully spot our demands.”
