VB-G RAM G Act: A Controversial Transition from MGNREGA

The newly enacted VB-G RAM G Act replaces MGNREGA, focusing on technology to combat corruption, but lacks new anti-graft provisions, critiques LibTech India. The Act emphasizes biometric and digital systems, drawing concern over potential exclusion and secrecy, while highlighting the need for offline support mechanisms for transparency and accountability.

The recently approved VB-G RAM G Act, which substitutes the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), has prompted discussions over its reliance on technology to curb corruption. LibTech India criticized the absence of new anti-corruption measures, despite claims that tech-based solutions will address prior shortcomings.

The consortium of academicians and activists stressed the need for strong offline systems to complement digital procedures, expressing concerns that dependence on biometrics and digital governance could lead to exclusion from employment and wage pathways. The Action Group believes the shift undermines foundational MGNREGA principles, threatening public transparency and accountability.

Despite these apprehensions, the Act introduces a 125-day wage employment guarantee for rural households, targeting unskilled labor. The government claims this framework will rectify issues within the previous scheme, yet the lack of public discourse and parliamentary scrutiny remains a contentious point among critics.

(With inputs from agencies.)