Rajasthan’s Leader of Opposition, Tika Ram Jully, has questioned the Rajasthan government’s plan to replace the MGNREGA with the VB-G RAM-G scheme, citing worries about its funding and financial sustainability. Jully has urged Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma to clarify the state’s stance, especially as BJP-ruled states like Bihar and Madhya Pradesh have also expressed concerns about the new scheme’s funding structure.
The proposed scheme requires states to bear 40% of the expenses, leading to financial challenges in providing the promised 125 days of rural employment, according to Jully. He has criticized the potential additional financial burden on Rajasthan and called for a response from the Chief Minister regarding objections raised by BJP-led state governments.
Jully emphasized the importance of MGNREGA, highlighting its role in supporting rural livelihoods and social security, particularly during the pandemic. He criticized the move to weaken a successful program for the sake of renaming schemes, warning of negative impacts on rural India. The opposition leader noted that the previous Congress government in Rajasthan had extended the guaranteed workdays under MGNREGA to 125 in the state budget for 2022-23.
Jully accused the BJP government of blindly adopting an impractical model from the Centre, cautioning that the proposed changes could burden rural laborers and the state financially. He called on the state government to address economic and technical issues related to the new scheme rather than focusing solely on publicity and renaming initiatives. Jully shared his concerns on social media, questioning the government’s approach to the rural employment program.
