According to sources, the government is firm on getting the bill passed during the current parliamentary session.
The ruling side argues that renaming employment schemes is not new, citing the transition from Jawahar Rozgar Yojana to NREGA, and later to MGNREGA, as part of a continuous evolution in rural employment policies.
Sources also indicate that failure to pass the bill in this session could complicate budgetary provisions, as VB–G RAM G is a new scheme requiring a fresh legal framework.
Once enacted, rural workers will need to register afresh under the new law to avail benefits.
The proposed legislation aims to establish a new rural development framework aligned with the national vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.
Under the bill, the government seeks to provide a statutory guarantee of 125 days of wage employment in every financial year to each rural household whose adult members voluntarily undertake unskilled manual work.
The bill also focuses on promoting empowerment, growth, convergence, and saturation to build a prosperous and resilient rural India.
The introduction of the bill effectively proposes renaming and restructuring the existing Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) into the new VB–G RAM G Scheme.
This move has triggered sharp reactions from the opposition, with senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi and several other opposition leaders accusing the government of attempting to dilute the legacy and intent of MGNREGA.
Addressing criticism over the guarantee of employment, government sources stated that nearly 40 lakh families have already received 100 days of work under MGNREGA, countering claims that workers do not get the assured employment.
The government has planned to allocate Rs 7.50 lakh crore over the next five years for the new scheme, which highlights its large-scale commitment to rural livelihoods. If passed, the VB–G RAM G Bill will officially replace MGNREGA. It will increase guaranteed workdays from 100 to 125, and will also redefine India’s rural employment framework for the coming decades, say analysts.
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