Amid a heated exchange between the BJP led central government and opposition parties, the Punjab Vidhan Sabha meet on Tuesday to discuss the new rural employment law. It also discuss the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G Ram G). This law replaces the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). The main focus of the one-day session is to discuss the provisions of the newly passed VB-G Ram G Act.
MGNREGA vs VB-G Ram G Row
The AAP government criticized the VB-G Ram G and putting forward a resolution that expresses serious concerns about the new scheme. The government argues that the new scheme cause significant financial loss to the state. It harm the poor, and threaten the federal structure.
The government supports the current demand-based, rights-based, and fully centrally funded structure of MGNREGA. It calls for a re-evaluation of the VB-G Ram G Act’s provisions, which it claims put an unfair financial burden on states. It weaken the employment rights of rural workers.
Punjab Assembly Start Debate Today
Cabinet minister Tarunpreet Sond criticized the central government for changing the center-state fund-sharing ratio. He estimated that the new arrangement will add a annual burden of ₹600 crore on the Punjab government.
Except for the BJP, all major political parties in Punjab, including Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), oppose the new rural employment law.
Both Congress and SAD have called for the immediate withdrawal of the VB-G Ram G Act, labeling it as “anti-poor.” Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring announced the launch of a mass movement across Gurdaspur on January 8 to protect MGNREGA. He described the repeal of the Act as an attack on the rights-based approach.
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