New Delhi, 18 December (H.S.): Congress General Secretary and Member of Parliament Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday called the recently passed Viksit Bharat–Gramin Rozgar Aur Ajeevika Mission Guarantee (Rural) Bill—popularly known as the VB-G Ram Ji Bill—“anti-poor,” declaring that the Congress Party will oppose it with full force.

Speaking to reporters in the Parliament complex, Priyanka Gandhi remarked that the new bill effectively marks the end of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). “We will oppose it completely, and all opposition parties are united on this. Increasing the workdays from 100 to 125 is nothing but a deceptive move,” she said.

Priyanka further asserted that since the financial burden will now shift to state governments, the scheme will gradually weaken and eventually collapse.She added that the MGNREGA program has long served as a vital source of employment for the country’s poorest citizens, standing by them even during difficult times such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This bill is against the interests of the poor and laborers, and Congress will firmly resist it,” she said.The VB-G Ram Ji Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 16 by Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and was passed today by voice vote amidst protests and disruptions.

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) was enacted in 2005 under the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government to enhance livelihood security for people in rural India, covering all districts of the country.Under MGNREGA, the wages paid to workers are fully funded by the central government, while the cost of materials and related expenses are shared by both the Centre and the states.

The new bill, however, proposes to alter this arrangement—shifting 60 percent of the total cost to the Centre and 40 percent to state governments.

For northeastern states, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and other Union Territories, the central government will bear 90 percent of the cost. In addition, the bill mandates that if an applicant does not receive employment within 15 days of applying, they will be entitled to a daily unemployment allowance—an expenditure that will also be borne by the respective state government.This provision mirrors the one already present under MGNREGA.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar