Sonia Gandhi Criticizes BJP Over MGNREGA Replacement

Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi criticized the BJP-led Centre for undermining the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). She warned that replacing it with the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission (Rural) Bill could have severe consequences for India’s rural population. The new legislation, referred to as the VB-G RAM G Bill, was recently passed by Parliament despite opposition protests. Sonia Gandhi highlighted that MGNREGA, established in 2005 as a rights-based law ensuring the right to work, was being dismantled without due process. She criticized the BJP for gradually weakening the scheme through budget constraints and technological challenges, making it less effective. The Congress and other opposition parties had opposed the new Bill, seeking its referral to a standing committee. However, the legislation was passed after opposition MPs walked out, receiving presidential assent to become law. Sonia Gandhi argued that the new Act shifts from a guaranteed employment model to a bureaucratic program with fixed budget limits, altering the essence of rural employment support. She raised concerns about reduced workdays, increased state funding obligations, and centralized planning under the new framework. The Congress leader emphasized MGNREGA’s role in boosting rural wages, preventing migration, and supporting local governance, especially during the pandemic. She criticized the government’s claims about the revamped scheme’s benefits, calling them misleading. Sonia Gandhi urged unity to protect rights-based laws like MGNREGA, which she viewed as essential for the welfare of India’s working population. Meanwhile, the VB-G RAM G Bill has been enacted following presidential approval, with Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan defending the new law and dispelling misconceptions.