Senior Congress leader and former Punjab Speaker, Rana Kanwarpal Singh KP, has launched a fierce critique against the central government, labeling its newly passed Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025, as a "hidden assault" on the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). He warned that the livelihood of crores of India's rural poor is under direct threat.
A Covert Attempt to Dismantle a Landmark Law
Addressing the media in Mohali on Friday, Rana KP asserted that the bill is not a simple rebranding exercise. He described it as a "deliberate and well-planned effort" to quietly shut down one of India's most crucial social welfare laws. He emphasized that MGNREGA, introduced by the UPA government in 2005, is the world's only legislation that guarantees employment as a legal right, providing at least 100 days of wage work annually to rural households.
"This is not charity, it is a constitutional right of the poor," KP stated, linking the scheme's spirit to the constitutional ideals of social justice and inclusive development championed by Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.
Altered Funding Pattern Puts States in a Bind
The Congress leader pinpointed the change in the funding mechanism as a core strategy to weaken the scheme. He highlighted that under MGNREGA, the Centre bore 90% of the cost, with states contributing 10%. The new proposal under the VB-G RAM G framework allegedly inverts this burden.
"The Centre now proposes to fund only 60 per cent, while asking states to arrange the remaining 40 per cent," KP explained. He argued that this shift is practically impossible for many financially stressed states, effectively crippling the scheme's implementation from within.
He also dismissed the Centre's announcement of extending guaranteed work to 125 days as "misleading," noting that even the existing guarantee of 100 days is often not fulfilled, making the enhanced promise merely a paper claim.
Appeal to Punjab Govt and Nationwide Consequences
Rana KP issued a direct appeal to the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government to firmly reject the Centre's move in the upcoming session of the Vidhan Sabha. He assured that the Congress would extend its full support to the state government on this issue in the larger interest of the poor.
Underlining the scale of the potential crisis, he noted that India has nearly 9 crore MGNREGA workers, with Punjab alone accounting for around 20 lakh job card holders, predominantly from extremely poor households. "If this scheme is weakened or scrapped, millions of homes will be pushed into hunger and distress," he cautioned.
The Congress leader vowed that his party would strongly oppose any attempt to dilute MGNREGA and, if necessary, mobilize public opinion at the grassroots level. "If needed, we will go village to village to mobilise people and defend the right to livelihood," Rana Kanwarpal Singh KP declared.
