Cong Alleges VB-G RAM G Guarantees Technology-Driven Exclusion, Weakens Gram Panchayats

New Delhi, October 15: The Congress on Thursday criticised the Narendra Modi government over the implementation of the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, alleging that the new rural employment law promotes technology driven exclusion, centralisation of authority and a weakening of gram panchayats.

Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh raised concerns over the withdrawal of additional employment benefits previously available to households holding titles under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006. He shared a media report on social media highlighting uncertainty over whether these families would continue to receive the additional days of work previously provided under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

Under the earlier employment programme, eligible beneficiaries received a guarantee of 100 days of wage employment annually. Certain categories, including beneficiaries covered by the Forest Rights Act, were also entitled to an additional 50 days of work under special provisions.

In a post on X, Ramesh recalled the expansion of the additional employment entitlement during the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

He said the provision was first extended in April 2012 to drought-affected states, including Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Karnataka. In July 2013, it was extended to Uttarakhand following devastating floods. In January 2014, the additional entitlement was extended to beneficiaries covered under the Forest Rights Act, 2006.

Ramesh alleged that the Modi government pushed the VB-G RAM G legislation through Parliament without adequately protecting the employment guarantees established under MGNREGA.

According to the Congress leader, the new law has undermined the statutory right to wage employment and the provisions associated with wage increases under the previous rural employment framework.

He further claimed that lakhs of beneficiaries from tribal and other traditional forest-dwelling communities could lose access to the additional 50 days of employment they had previously received.

The Congress also alleged that these communities have faced exclusion from rural employment benefits through the deletion of job cards and the mandatory use of Aadhaar-based payment systems and the National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS).

The Aadhaar-Based Payment System (ABPS) is used to transfer wages to eligible workers through Aadhaar-linked banking arrangements, while NMMS facilitates attendance recording and monitoring at worksites through a mobile based system. Critics have raised concerns that technical difficulties, documentation issues and connectivity problems can prevent some workers from accessing benefits.

Ramesh described these measures as part of a broader shift towards centralised administration and technology-dependent access to employment schemes.

“The only guarantee under VB-G RAM G is technology-driven exclusion, centralisation, and the emasculation of gram panchayats,” he alleged.

The latest criticism follows an earlier attack by the Congress on Tuesday over reported irregularities in attendance recording under the new scheme. The party accused the BJP of undermining the rights of economically vulnerable people while invoking the name of Lord Shri Ram.

The Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, commonly known as the VB-G RAM G Act, came into force nationwide on July 1, replacing the two-decade-old MGNREGA programme introduced by the Congress-led UPA government.

The change has triggered a political debate over the future of rural employment guarantees, the role of local governing bodies and the accessibility of welfare benefits for vulnerable households.

Gram panchayats have traditionally played an important role in identifying local employment needs and implementing rural development works under MGNREGA. The Congress argues that greater centralisation under the replacement framework could reduce local decision-making powers and limit the ability of village-level institutions to respond to workers’ requirements.

The party has also raised concerns about whether digital attendance and payment mechanisms could create additional barriers for workers who lack reliable access to technology or face difficulties with Aadhaar-linked services.

The debate comes as rural employment programmes remain an important source of income for households dependent on seasonal agricultural work and other informal occupations. For many families, guaranteed wage employment provides financial support during periods when regular work is unavailable.

The Congress has called attention to the potential impact of the new legislation on tribal communities and other forest-dependent households, arguing that previously established entitlements should not be withdrawn without adequate safeguards.

The dispute highlights wider questions surrounding the balance between digital monitoring, administrative efficiency and workers’ access to social protection. While technology based systems can help track attendance and payments, their implementation remains a matter of concern when technical barriers affect eligible beneficiaries.

The political confrontation over the VB-G RAM G Act is expected to keep rural employment policy in focus, particularly regarding wage security, the protection of vulnerable communities and the responsibilities of gram panchayats under the revised framework.