"Right to work, wages of rural Indian families being stolen": Jairam Ramesh slams Centre over Viksit Bharat-G RAM G Act rollout

New Delhi [India], May 11 : Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Monday criticised the Union Ministry of Rural Development over the implementation of the VB-G RAM G Act, 2025, set to come into effect from July 1, calling it "another lazy headline-grabbing exercise" and alleging that operational details of the scheme are still not available.

The new legislation is set to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005, with an enhanced framework guaranteeing 125 days of wage employment in rural areas.

Taking to X, Ramesh, who is the AICC General Secretary in charge of Communication, launched a sharp attack on the Centre, alleging that the new Act would weaken the rights of rural workers.

"Today's press release by the Union Ministry of Rural Development on VB-G RAM G adds nothing new to what is already known. It is yet another lazy headline-grabbing exercise by a Govt that specialises in such exercises. No details have been revealed except to say that they will be released soon. If this replacement for MGNREGA is to be implemented from July 1, 2026, then all operational details should have been available by now," he said.

The Congress leader further emphasised that meaningful consultation with state governments must be undertaken before the rollout of the scheme, stating that discussions should not be merely procedural.

"Public consultations and discussions with state governments on these details have to be done in a meaningful manner and not just to complete a formality," he said.

"Let there be no doubt. The only guarantee that VB-G RAM G offers is that of extreme centralisation and weakening of the bargaining power of rural labour. The constitutional right to work and the right to wages of rural Indian families is being stolen," he claimed.

The Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act was passed in the Winter Session of the Parliament in 2025 and replaces the 100-day employment guarantee with a 125-day guarantee. However, the Opposition has criticised the legislation for removing Mahatma Gandhi's name from the scheme and altering the 60:40 share of funds between the Centre and states.

https://x.com/Jairam_Ramesh/status/2053783315006816473?s=20

Ramesh shared a picture titled "Modi Sarkar's Four Attacks On Your Right To Work", drawing parallels between MGNREGA and G-RAM-G Act, alleging that the new act provides no "legal guarantee to work" whereas MGNREGA ensured "minimum 100 days of work per year" and was accessible in every village in India.

He further claimed that under the new framework, labourers would "not get work during the harvest season" and that "wages will be arbitrarily set" by the Centre. He contrasted this with MGNREGA, under which work could be demanded throughout the year, along with a legally guaranteed minimum wage.

Ramesh also alleged that under the new system, the place and nature of work would be decided by the "Modi Govt and its favourite contractors", whereas under MGNREGA, Gram Panchayats were responsible for providing employment linked to local development needs.

Additionally, the Congress leader criticised the provision requiring a 40 per cent contribution from state governments towards the wage fund, arguing that it could result in reduced employment opportunities. He said the Centre previously bore 100 per cent of wage costs under MGNREGA, so the state government didn't have to worry.

His remarks come after the Ministry of Rural Development notified the implementation of the VB-G RAM G Act, 2025, to be rolled out nationwide from 1 July 2026 in an official release on Monday.

With the coming into force of the VB-G RAM G Act, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005, shall stand repealed from the same date. This marks a historic transition in India's rural development framework and ushers in a new era of integrated, future-ready and productivity-oriented rural transformation aligned with the national vision of Viksit Bharat @2047, the release said.

Under the new framework, every rural household whose adult members volunteer to undertake unskilled manual work shall be entitled to a statutory guarantee of 125 days of wage employment in every financial year. The enhanced guarantee is intended to strengthen livelihood security, improve rural incomes and support sustainable village-level development.

Employment shall be provided to workers against their demand for work within the prescribed timeframe, failing which workers shall remain entitled to unemployment allowance in accordance with the provisions of the Act.

The Act places strong emphasis on timely and transparent wage payments. Wages shall continue to be transferred directly into workers' bank or post office accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). Wages are to be paid on a weekly basis or within fifteen days from the closure of the muster roll, failing which workers shall be entitled to delay compensation in accordance with the provisions of the Act.

The Government of India has ensured comprehensive financial provisions for the effective implementation of the Viksit Bharat - G RAM G Act, 2025. For the financial year 2026-27, the Central Government has made a budgetary allocation of Rs 95,692.31 crore, which is the highest-ever allocation at the Budget Estimate stage for a rural employment programme.

Including the likely contribution of the States, the total programme outlay is estimated to exceed Rs 1.51 lakh crore. This allocation is expected to provide fresh momentum to rural infrastructure development, large-scale employment generation and enhancement of rural incomes, according to the release.

In order to ensure a seamless, smooth and worker-centric transition, employment under MGNREGA shall continue uninterrupted till the date of commencement of the new Act. Ongoing works under MGNREGA as on June 30th shall be saved and carried over in the new framework seamlessly by ensuring consistency with the provisions of Viksit Bharat G RAM G. Timely availability of work and prompt payment of wages to rural workers remain the priority of the Government.

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