DK Shivakumar Slams New VB-G RAM-G Law, Cites Threat to MGNREGA

Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar has sharply criticized the central government's new VB-G RAM-G law, asserting it threatens the survival of the MGNREGA scheme. He accuses the BJP of altering funding structures and undermining constitutional rights, signaling the party's political decline. Congress plans to address the issue in Delhi.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar launched a scathing attack on the Centre's newly introduced VB-G RAM-G law. He accused the government of attempting to weaken and dismantle the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), asserting that the scheme is a constitutional right linked to Article 21.

Shivakumar highlighted the drastic change in the funding structure under the new law, where previously the Centre bore 90% of infrastructure project costs against the state's 10%. He warned that the shift to a 60:40 ratio threatens the scheme's viability. He expressed concern that this move could jeopardize the Panchayati Raj system.

Alleging that this is a deliberate attempt by the BJP to end the employment guarantee programme, Shivakumar said the move signals the beginning of the BJP's political decline. He announced plans for a Congress meeting in Delhi to address what he describes as an attack on a constitutional guarantee named after Mahatma Gandhi.