A parliamentary committee headed by a Congress Member of Parliament has scheduled a meeting for December 29 to discuss the recently passed Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission-Gramin (VB G RAM G) Bill, setting the stage for a fresh political confrontation. The move, seen as an escalation of the battle over the proposed law that will replace the UPA-era Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), has drawn strong protests from members of the ruling NDA coalition.
Agenda Sparks Immediate Backlash
The agenda for the standing committee on rural development and panchayati raj includes a briefing by the rural development ministry on the VB G RAM G Bill and a direct comparison with the old MGNREGS. The committee is chaired by Congress MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka.
BJP MPs on the panel have expressed surprise and anger at the decision to discuss the bill. They point out that the legislation, which was passed by Parliament on Thursday, is still awaiting Presidential assent and has not been formally notified as a law. BJP MP Vivek Thakur, a panel member, questioned the move, stating it "betrays non-application of mind." He and other NDA members, who hold a majority in the committee, argue that a panel cannot discuss a bill freshly debated and passed by Parliament; it can only scrutinize its implementation later.
A History of Controversial Agendas
This is not the first time the committee's agenda, often set by its chairman, has caused friction. Earlier in July, the committee's decision to invite activist Medha Patkar and actor Prakash Raj—both vocal critics of BJP policies—as witnesses for a review of land acquisition law implementation led to an angry walkout by BJP MPs. They had labeled Patkar "anti-national" and the meeting ended abruptly.
The current controversy follows Ulaka's earlier demand in the Lok Sabha that the VB G RAM G Bill be sent to his committee for scrutiny, a demand echoed by opposition parties but rejected by the government. He has also written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla reiterating this request. BJP members are now considering taking up the matter with the Speaker, who holds overriding powers as it is a Lok Sabha committee.
Political Battle Lines Drawn
The new VB G RAM G law is designed to replace the legislation that underpinned the MGNREGS, notably removing Mahatma Gandhi's name from the scheme. The opposition has consistently slammed the measure. BJP members see the committee's planned comparison as a deliberate attempt to politicize the issue, arguing it serves no legislative purpose at this stage. With the NDA in majority on the panel, the December 29 meeting is poised to be a contentious affair, highlighting the deep political divide over flagship rural employment policies.
