The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the contentious Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission-Gramin (VB-G RAM G) Bill, which seeks to replace the existing Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). The legislative move was met with fierce protests and dramatic scenes from opposition members, who demanded the draft law be sent to a parliamentary committee for scrutiny and criticized the removal of Mahatma Gandhi's name from the flagship rural employment scheme.
Chaotic Scenes and Heated Exchanges
As Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan began his reply to the debate, opposition MPs, led by Congress, stormed into the well of the House. They tore copies of the bill and raised slogans, continuing their protest until the legislation was passed. The uproar began after Congress MP KC Venugopal's demand to refer the VB-G RAM G Bill to a parliamentary committee was not accepted.
Chouhan, in his remarks, strongly defended the new bill, stating it substantially improves upon MGNREGA, which he described as being "riddled" by corruption and inefficiency. He argued that the new legislation was the result of extensive deliberations, aiming to ensure that massive government funds are used not just for wage payments but also for creating permanent assets in villages, alongside enhancing transparency.
The Controversy Over Mahatma Gandhi's Name
A central point of opposition attack was the removal of Mahatma Gandhi's name from the scheme. Rejecting this criticism, Chouhan presented a historical counterpoint. He clarified that Mahatma Gandhi's name was not part of the original 2005 legislation and was added only in 2009. He turned the tables on the Congress, accusing it of having a "proclivity" for naming things after members of the Nehru-Gandhi family.
To bolster his argument, the minister reeled off data: 25 and 27 schemes in states are named after Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi respectively, while educational institutions named after Rajiv, Indira, and Jawaharlal Nehru number 55, 21, and 22 respectively. He claimed the unruly protest by Congress MPs, including tearing the bill, amounted to "killing Mahatma Gandhi's ideals."
Financial Outlay and Aims of the New Scheme
Outlining the financial scale and intent of the new central sector scheme, Chouhan stated that the government has allocated over Rs 1.5 lakh crore for it, with the Centre's share alone being over Rs 95,000 crore. He addressed the criticism that the bill burdens states with 40% of the expenditure, asserting that both the Centre and states are jointly responsible for development.
Highlighting perceived flaws in MGNREGA, Chouhan said some states were more interested in drawing funds from the Centre while reducing their share in material expenses, leading to unproductive work like digging "one ditch after another." In contrast, he said, "This vast amount of money will be used to build fully-developed villages" by ensuring water security through ponds and irrigation channels, and building rural infrastructure.
Following the bill's passage, Chouhan denounced the opposition's conduct, saying it has turned democracy into "bheedtantra (mobocracy) and goondatantra (hooliganism)." He also took a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, stating he has "robbed his position of Leader of Opposition with his conduct," including being abroad while Parliament discussed key legislation. The discussion on the bill lasted eight hours, with 99 MPs participating, as noted by Speaker Om Birla.
