<\/p>\n\n\n\n
New Delhi:<\/strong> The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025\u2014popularly referred to as the VB-G RAM G Bill\u2014amid intense protests and sharp opposition from several political parties. The new legislation seeks to repeal and replace the nearly 20-year-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), one of India\u2019s largest rural welfare programmes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The passage of the bill was accompanied by dramatic scenes in Parliament. Opposition members from the Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC), and DMK strongly objected to both the substance and symbolism of the proposed law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Several MPs accused the government of \u201cinsulting\u201d Mahatma Gandhi by removing his name from the employment guarantee scheme. In protest, some members reportedly tore copies of the bill and threw them into the well of the House.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Senior opposition leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi and Mahua Moitra, criticised the renaming of the scheme, alleging that replacing \u201cGandhi\u201d with the acronym \u201cRAM G\u201d was politically motivated and carried communal overtones. The opposition also demanded that the bill be referred to a Parliamentary Standing Committee for detailed examination, a request rejected by the government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Defending the legislation, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan described the VB-G RAM G Bill as a \u201cmajor reform\u201d aimed at addressing structural shortcomings in MGNREGA and aligning rural employment policy with the government\u2019s \u201cViksit Bharat 2047\u201d vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Under the new framework:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The opposition has raised multiple concerns, particularly over the financial implications for states. Opposition-ruled states such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu have warned that the requirement to bear 40% of the wage cost could impose a heavy fiscal burden, running into thousands of crores of rupees annually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Critics have also objected to what they describe as excessive centralisation, arguing that the bill weakens local self-governance by limiting the decision-making powers of Gram Panchayats and relying on centralised digital planning platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Responding to criticism, Minister Chouhan said the bill reflects Mahatma Gandhi\u2019s ideals of \u201cRam Rajya\u201d and \u201cGram Swaraj\u201d in a modern context. He argued that increased employment days and an emphasis on durable assets such as ponds, irrigation works, and rural roads would provide a stronger and more sustainable safety net for rural households.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite continued opposition protests, the government pushed the bill through the Lok Sabha, setting the stage for further political debate as it moves to the Rajya Sabha.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025\u2014popularly referred to as the VB-G RAM G Bill\u2014amid intense protests and sharp opposition from several political parties. The new legislation seeks to repeal and replace the nearly 20-year-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7272,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7271","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national"],"yoast_head":"\nHeated Scenes in the House<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Key Provisions of the New Bill<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Points of Contention<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Government\u2019s Stand<\/h3>\n\n\n\n