Following the enactment of a new law in December 2025 that substitutes the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) with the VB-G RAM G scheme, the Congress in Bihar has declared a statewide protest. The party asserts that this change will negatively impact rural laborers and impose additional financial burdens on poorer states.
Senior Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed Khan expressed concerns about the motives of the Central government regarding the new legislation. He criticized the removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the scheme, emphasizing MNREGA’s crucial role in providing employment to rural workers, especially in states like Bihar.
Under the new law, states will now have to bear 40% of the scheme’s expenses, a requirement absent in MNREGA, where the Centre fully funded wages. This shift is expected to particularly affect economically weaker states such as Bihar.
Bihar Congress president Rajesh Ram accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of aiming to dismantle MNREGA through this new legislation. He highlighted concerns over the alteration of the scheme into a mission, which could potentially lead to its discontinuation.
The Congress has scheduled a statewide movement from January 10 to February 25 to protest against these changes. The planned activities include district-level press conferences, day-long fasts, public meetings at the panchayat level, peace marches, protests, and demonstrations at various levels.
Under the new law, significant structural changes have been implemented, including an increase in guaranteed employment days per year for rural households from 100 to 125. Additionally, the funding model has shifted to a 60:40 Centre–state ratio, with states now required to contribute 40% of the costs.
