Last week, President Droupadi Murmu granted her assent to the VB-G RAM G Bill, formally paving the way for a sweeping restructuring of India’s flagship rural employment scheme. Following this development, the Congress party on Saturday announced the launch of a nationwide protest starting January 5. The decision was taken after a meeting of the party’s Working Committee (CWC), where leaders resolved to oppose the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission (Rural) Bill, commonly referred to as the G RAM G Bill, which has now replaced the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
Addressing the media after the meeting, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the party had collectively resolved to begin a mass movement to safeguard MNREGA, describing it not merely as a welfare initiative but as a constitutional right of citizens. He announced the launch of a nationwide campaign titled the “MNREGA Save Campaign” beginning January 5, stressing that the Congress would fight to protect the scheme at any cost.
Kharge asserted that MNREGA embodies the spirit of Article 41 of the Directive Principles of State Policy, which guarantees the right to work. He emphasised that the scheme was not a discretionary government benefit but a legally guaranteed right enshrined in India’s constitutional framework. He further stated that the Congress would strongly oppose any attempt to remove Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the programme, calling such a move unacceptable and politically motivated.
Highlighting the significance of MNREGA during the Covid-19 pandemic, Kharge said the programme played a critical role in helping millions of people survive during an unprecedented economic crisis. He noted that even official institutions such as the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had acknowledged the scheme’s effectiveness in providing livelihood support at a time when other sources of income had collapsed. He credited former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi for introducing the legislation that created MNREGA.
Kharge also accused the BJP-led central government of deliberately weakening the programme over the years by restricting funding and limiting the number of guaranteed workdays. He said that instead of expanding employment during times of distress, the government chose to curtail benefits, thereby harming the poorest and most vulnerable sections of society. He reiterated that the Congress would oppose the changes “with full force” and defend MNREGA as a lifeline for rural India.
Speaking at the same event, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi described the replacement of MNREGA with the G RAM G Bill as a direct attack on India’s federal structure. He alleged that the new legislation undermines the rights of states by transferring financial control and decision-making powers to the Centre.
According to Rahul Gandhi, MNREGA was never just an employment scheme but a globally recognised, rights-based development model that empowered rural communities and strengthened local governance. He said the programme had also played a vital role in creating rural infrastructure and improving livelihoods across the country.
He further alleged that the decision to introduce the new law was taken unilaterally by the Prime Minister’s Office without proper consultation with stakeholders or even the concerned ministry. Comparing the move to demonetisation, he said it reflected a pattern of policymaking without adequate debate or assessment.
Accusing the government of favouring corporate interests, Rahul Gandhi claimed the new law would disproportionately affect Adivasis, Dalits, Other Backward Classes, minorities, and the rural poor. He alleged that the changes were designed to divert resources away from vulnerable communities and towards large industrial houses. “This will cause immense suffering to the poor while benefiting a few powerful corporates,” he said.
On the proposed nationwide protest, Rahul Gandhi said the Congress would take the issue to the streets and expressed confidence that other opposition parties would unite against the new law. He said the party was prepared for a prolonged struggle to defend workers’ rights and democratic principles.
Under the newly enacted VB-G RAM G law, the two-decade-old MGNREGA framework has been replaced by a new statutory structure aligned with the government’s vision of “Viksit Bharat 2047.” One of the major changes introduced under the new law is the increase in guaranteed employment from 100 days to 125 days per financial year for rural households, which the government has projected as an expansion of benefits.
The government has argued that under MNREGA, the 100-day employment guarantee often functioned as an upper limit rather than a minimum entitlement, and that the new framework would provide greater flexibility.
Another significant change relates to funding. Under the new system, the cost-sharing formula between the Centre and the states will be 60:40. This replaces the earlier structure, where the Centre bore 90 percent of the cost for northeastern and Himalayan states and 75 percent for other states.
While the government claims that the revised funding pattern promotes cooperative federalism and greater accountability, the Opposition argues that it weakens the rights-based nature of the original MNREGA framework and concentrates power at the Centre.
The political battle over the future of rural employment in India is now set to intensify, with the Congress gearing up for nationwide protests and the government standing firm on its reforms under the Viksit Bharat agenda.
