New Delhi, Dec 19 After the Lok Sabha passed the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025 (VB–G RAM G Bill), Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, on Friday, backed the government, asserting that improvements and reforms are a natural part of every welfare scheme, adding that similar changes were made even when the opposition parties were in power.
However, the passage of the Bill triggered sharp criticism from the Opposition, which alleged that the legislation was pushed through without proper discussion and accused the union government of adopting a 'dictatorial' approach.
Speaking to IANS, Union Minister Meghwal said that employment schemes existed even before the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and that changing the name of a scheme does not alter its core objective.
"The Prime Minister has directed that the number of works under these schemes be increased, with greater emphasis on rural infrastructure, water conservation, and security-related planning," he added.
He also explained that disaster management in rural areas would also be strengthened under the revised framework.
"When disasters occur, work in villages must be properly planned and executed. Technology is being used extensively, and changes are being introduced across schemes to suit present-day requirements. Improvements happen in every scheme, and the same was done when the Opposition was in power," Union Minister Meghwal said.
Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj Kumar Jha, however, criticised the manner in which the Bill was passed.
"This is not how a Bill should be passed, and this is not how democracy functions. Even during the farm laws, the Union government did not listen to us. We were helpless, and the Bills were pushed through unilaterally," he said.
Congress MP Mallu Ravi echoed similar concerns, saying that the Congress and INDIA Bloc allies held strong protests against the Bill.
"Our request was to refer the Bill to the Standing Committee or a Parliamentary Committee. The government ignored this demand and passed it solely on the strength of its majority. This shows a lack of respect for the Opposition. It reflects a dictatorial kind of rule prevailing in the country," he alleged.
Congress MP Jothimani Sennimalai also criticised the Union government, accusing Bharatiya Janata Party MPs of repeatedly breaching parliamentary privilege.
"Every day, BJP leaders like Nishikant Dubey and others violate parliamentary decorum. Even the Home Minister (Amit Shah) has used language that does not befit the dignity of Parliament," she said.
She also added that the Union government was undermining the right to work under MGNREGA by removing Mahatma Gandhi's name from the scheme.
"Mahatma Gandhi -- the Father of the Nation -- is revered not only in India but across the world. We are elected by the people to protect their rights and uphold Gandhian ideology. We protested against this Bill, and we are proud that we stood up for the people who elected us," Sennimalai said.
Meanwhile on Thursday, the Lok Sabha passed the VB-G RAM-G Bill via a voice vote.
The legislation, which replaces the MGNREGA with an enhanced guarantee of 125 days of wage employment annually for rural households, was cleared despite demands for further scrutiny.
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