The Congress on Monday claimed that the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act was a transformative law, but the new rural job scheme introduced by the Union government to replace it is “a flaw”.
Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh contended in a social media post that the MGNREGA was a legal guarantee, not just an “administrative promise”. He claimed that the new Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act “guarantees only centralisation” in New Delhi.
“Work will be provided based on the Government’s allocated budget rather than on citizen demand,” he said in a social media post. “The scheme will stop altogether for two months every year during peak agricultural activities – a big blow to workers’ bargaining power who won’t be able to negotiate better wages for agricultural work.”
Ramesh claimed that the MGNERGA, during the 20 years of its operation, provided 180 crore days of work to rural households and created an estimated 10 crore community assets. He also contended that the old scheme reduced distress migration and empowered gram panchats.
The Congress leader alleged that in contrast, under the VB-G Ram G Act, panchayats have been “sidelined” and projects will be “determined by the Modi Government according to its priorities”.
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 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 has been increased to 125, while states’ share of costs has risen to 40%. The Union government continues to bear the wage component, with states sharing material and administrative expenses.
The legislation has drawn criticism from economists and labour rights experts.
On January 29, the Union government’s annual Economic Survey stated that the MGNREGA achieved significant gains in participation, digitisation and transparency over time, but “persistent structural weaknesses” limited its effectiveness.
The document said that the VB-G RAM-G Act represented a decisive shift in India’s rural employment policy.
It claimed that the new Act was a “comprehensive legislative reset that aims to modernise rural employment guarantees, strengthen accountability, and align employment creation with long-term infrastructure and climate resilience goals”.
On Sunday, the Union government allocated Rs 95,691 crore for the VB-G RAM-G scheme in the 2026-’27 Budget.
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