New Delhi, Dec 19: Both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned sine die on Friday, marking the conclusion of the 19-day Winter Session of Parliament. The session witnessed the passage of the controversial Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025 (VB-G RAM G), which replaces the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and promises 125 days of rural employment.
The Rajya Sabha approved the bill past midnight on Thursday, while the Lok Sabha had cleared it earlier in the day amid uproar from opposition parties. Members of the Trinamool Congress staged an overnight dharna inside the Parliament complex in protest.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, reacting to the bill’s passage, accused the Modi government of demolishing 20 years of MGNREGA in a single day. Posting on X, he said the bill was “bulldozed through Parliament without proper scrutiny” and described it as “anti-village” and “anti-state by design.”
Gandhi elaborated, “VB-G RAM G isn’t a revamp of MGNREGA. It demolishes the rights-based, demand-driven guarantee and turns it into a rationed scheme controlled from Delhi. A law that rewires the rural social contract, affecting crores of workers, should never be rammed through without serious committee scrutiny, expert consultation, and public hearings.”
He further accused the government of targeting rural labour, women, Dalits, OBCs, and Adivasis, warning that the new legislation weakens the rural poor’s last line of defence. “We will stand with workers, panchayats, and states to defeat this move and build a nationwide front to ensure this law is withdrawn,” Gandhi said.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Lok Sabha MP and Rahul Gandhi’s sister, echoed the concerns, stating that the bill would be “very harmful” for the poorest communities. She criticized the reduction of central funding for unskilled employment under the new scheme, saying states may struggle to afford the programme. She also lamented that discussions on urgent issues like pollution could not take place during the session.
The Winter Session, which began on December 1 and concluded on December 19 with 15 sittings, saw Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla noting a productivity rate of 111% for the House, emphasizing members’ cooperation in facilitating parliamentary proceedings.