Congress to Protest Replacement of MGNREGA, Says Ramesh
VB-G RAM-G Bill alters core structure of rural employment scheme, says Congress; action plan to be finalised on December 27
NEW DELHI, Dec 22: Congress MP Jairam Ramesh announced on Monday that the party will launch a nationwide agitation against the replacement of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgaar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill (VB-G RAM-G). The announcement came through a post on social media platform X, where Ramesh also shared the historical background of MGNREGA.
Ramesh traced the roots of rural employment schemes back to the 1970s, when the Congress-led Maharashtra government under V.P. Naik introduced the pioneering Employment Guarantee Scheme during a severe drought. In the early 1980s, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi launched the National Rural Employment Programme (NREP) and the Rural Landless Employment Guarantee Programme (RLEGP). In the 1990s, Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao announced the Employment Assurance Scheme in the 100 poorest districts of India.
The Congress manifesto for the 2004 Lok Sabha elections further pledged a law guaranteeing 100 days of employment per year for rural households, which later became part of the Common Minimum Programme of the UPA. Ramesh highlighted the role of late ex-Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi in the formulation of MGNREGA.
Reacting to the passage of the VB-G RAM-G Bill in Parliament, Ramesh accused the government of altering the scheme’s fundamental character, claiming it would deprive rural, underprivileged, and exploited communities of employment opportunities. Speaking to ANI, he said, “The fundamental character of MGNREGA has been changed; the employment that was being provided to rural, deprived, and exploited people has been taken away.”
Ramesh also accused the BJP of acting with ideological bias, stating, “They hate Mahatma Gandhi’s name, and they hate the laws enacted during the Congress regime. I don’t understand why they rushed this through,” adding that the legislation was enacted without consulting state governments.
The Congress Working Committee is scheduled to meet on December 27 to finalise a plan for a nationwide movement against the new law.
