VB-G RAM G Law: A Threat to India's Rural Employment Backbone

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra critiques the new VB-G RAM G law, replacing MGNREGA, fearing it will harm the rural poor due to reduced central funding, shifting the financial burden to states. The bill, passed amid opposition, promises 125 days of rural employment annually.

In a heated debate, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra criticized the newly introduced VB-G RAM G law, stating it could spell disaster for India's rural poor by effectively ending the MGNREGA scheme. She warned that the new law, with its reduced allocation from the Centre, would financially cripple states, ultimately compromising rural employment opportunities.

For two decades, MGNREGA has been a cornerstone of support for the rural economy, funded predominantly by the central government. Vadra emphasized that the original scheme's structure, where the Centre covered 90% of costs, was vital for providing steady employment to those struggling the most to find work.

Despite strong protests, the Parliament passed the VB-G RAM G Bill, which pledges 125 days of rural wage employment annually. The opposition decried the changes, claiming they impose a financial burden on states and erase Mahatma Gandhi's legacy from the rural employment initiative.

(With inputs from agencies.)