The Karnataka Cabinet on Thursday decided to move the Supreme Court against the 2025 Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, reported Deccan Herald.
In a resolution passed unanimously, the Cabinet stated that the Act violates constitutional provisions and undermines the nation’s federal structure, according to Hindustan Times.
The 2025 Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill was given assent by the president on December 21, two days after it was passed by Parliament amid protests by Opposition parties. The new rural employment law will replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.
The MGNREGA was introduced in 2005 by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance and aimed at enhancing the livelihood security of households in rural areas. The scheme guaranteed 100 days of unskilled work annually for every rural household that wants it, covering all districts in the country.
Under the new law, the number of guaranteed workdays will increase to 125, while states’ share of costs will rise to 40%. The Union government will continue to bear the wage component, with states sharing material and administrative expenses.
The legislation has drawn criticism from economists and labour rights experts.
Speaking to reporters after the Cabinet meeting on Thursday, Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil said the Union government’s withdrawal of MGNREGA had deprived those living in rural areas of their right to employment, PTI reported.
Patil said panchayats earlier had the authority to decide which work would be taken up in villages, but this power had been removed with the new Act. He added that the Karnataka government strongly opposed the legislation and would contest it politically and legally.
He also said that there was no clarity on how the new scheme would provide 125 days of work.
Patil added that several panchayats had urged the state government to approach the Supreme Court on the matter.
Meanwhile, during a meeting of Congress legislators, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday said a special two-day session of the legislature would be convened to pass a resolution seeking the restoration of MGNREGA, Deccan Herald reported.
“The BJP-ruled Centre is denying the poor their right to employment,” he said. “By removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the new scheme, VB-G-RAM G, the Centre is deliberately creating confusion. The BJP is killing Mahatma Gandhi a second time.”
Also read:
MGNREGA gone, Centre is puppet master of new scheme with no guarantees
The end of MGNREGA is the undoing of a social revolution in rural India
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