Chandigarh, Dec 16 Punjab Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday condemned the Union government’s step to dismantle the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and replace it with the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Gramin (VB-G RAM G), calling it a “well-planned deception” aimed at weakening the rights, dignity, and livelihood security of rural labourers.
AAP spokesperson Neel Garg told the media here that the Modi government has consistently relied on “hollow slogans and political theatrics to mislead the public, while systematically eroding welfare guarantees meant for the poorest sections of society”.
“This is not merely a change of name, nor is it about removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name. The real issue is that the Centre has effectively sounded the death knell for MGNREGA and is trying to hide its anti-labourer agenda behind manufactured TV debates and distractions,” he said.
Garg warned that more than 12 crore rural workers, who currently hold MGNREGA job cards, will be directly affected by this new Bill introduced in the Parliament. “While the government is claiming an increase in guaranteed workdays from 100 to 125 days, the fine print of the proposed legislation exposes a dangerous reality. Clause 68 of the new bill does not guarantee work, but it includes denial of work,” he added.
“It states that during 60 days of the agricultural season, there is no obligation to provide employment. Who will decide whether a labourer got work in agriculture or whether his household survived during those 60 days?” the AAP leader questioned. Under MGNREGA, employment demand was assessed at the grassroots, with workers approaching the panchayat or sarpanch directly.
Garg questioned how rural labourers would now access employment. “Will a poor worker now have to approach the Prime Minister for work? Even reaching the sarpanch was difficult; this policy completely disconnects employment from the grassroots and centralises power in Delhi,” he added.
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