VB-G-RAM-G Bill Passed in Lok Sabha: Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday strongly criticised the VB-G-RAM-G Bill passed by the Lok Sabha, warning that the new legislation could effectively bring the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to an end within months. Calling the move “anti-poor,” she said the Opposition would protest against the Bill, which she believes shifts the financial burden unfairly onto state governments.
VB-G-RAM-G Bill sparks concern over future of MGNREGA
Speaking to reporters after the Bill’s passage, Priyanka Gandhi said the structure of the proposed law makes it clear that MGNREGA will not survive for long. According to her, once states are forced to shoulder a larger share of the funding responsibility, the rural employment scheme will slowly collapse. She argued that this change threatens a lifeline for millions of rural families who depend on guaranteed wage employment.
Priyanka Gandhi calls Bill a “clever trick” against the poor
Elaborating on her criticism, the Congress leader said the promise of 100 to 125 days of work under the new framework was misleading. She said a close reading of the legislation shows that it is designed in a way that will make its implementation difficult for states. In her view, this financial pressure will gradually push state governments to scale back or abandon the scheme altogether.
VB-G-RAM-G Bill defended by Centre as pro-Gandhi reform
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who moved the Bill for passage, rejected the Opposition’s allegations. Defending the renaming and restructuring of the scheme, he accused critics of straying from Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals. He said the BJP remains committed to Gandhi’s social and economic philosophy and argued that the Opposition’s criticism amounted to a distortion of those values.
What the new rural employment law proposes
The Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025, seeks to provide a statutory guarantee of 125 days of wage employment per rural household each financial year. The government says the legislation aligns with the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047 and aims to strengthen rural livelihoods while accelerating overall rural development.
The Bill was passed after an intense debate that lasted nearly 14 hours during the winter session of Parliament. While the Opposition demanded that it be referred to a Standing Committee for further scrutiny, the ruling BJP described it as a decisive step toward long-term national development.
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