The New Indian Express News

Viksit BharatGuarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025 passed amid protests

NEW DELHI: Parliament passed the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill (VB-GRAMG) 2025 past midnight on Thursday amidst protest and sloganeering by the Opposition. It was earlier passed in Lok Sabha on Wednesday and subsequently introduced in the Rajya Sabha. The Bill will replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA). Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan moved the Bill to establish a modern statutory framework aligned with Viksit Bharat 2047, guaranteeing 125 days of wage employment per rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. While replying to the discussion on the Bill, the minister said that the Congress had cheated people in the name of the scheme. He said that there was corruption during Congress led UPA rule and not enough money was given, however the Narendra Modi government properly implemented it with increased allocation. Initially, they did not name the scheme after Mahatma Gandhi. But when the elections came in 2009, they changed. This was for the elections Prime Minister Narendra Modi properly implemented MGNREGA, said Chouhan. As the minister rose to give a reply, the members of opposition parties shouted, Take back black bill. However, the Bill was passed with voice vote amidst protests. Following the passage of the Bill, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju condemned opposition members for creating a ruckus in the House. He said that they were granted time to speak after their request instead they behaved inappropriately. Earlier, as the Bill was moved, Congress MP Digvijaya Singh raised a point of order and stated that the Bill was made available on the members portal late in the evening, and sufficient time was not given to submit amendments. Hence, he sought more time for the same. Opposition MPs also demanded that they should be given at least one day to first read and understand the Bill. Tiruchi Siva of DMK also demanded more time for the Opposition to file amendments. During the discussion, Leader of Opposition and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that this was a scheme for the benefit of the poor hence it should not be taken lightly. It is not good to mess with it. Therefore, I would like to say that it is not good for you to bring a new law and work against the old law, and people will not let you roam in the streets Between 2004 and 2014, the people of India were given ideological rights, and the law was passed in parliament. We gave the Right to Information (RTI), Right to Education (RTE), the Forest Rights Act, Food Security Act and Land Acquisition Act. And also this MGNREGA is the main act. You could not make a law like in the last 11 years, we gave so many rights to the poor people. You are snatching away the right, said Kharge. Deputy LoP Pramod Tiwari said that whenever the Congress returns to power, it would reverse the scheme in its initial form and bring back Mahatma Gandhis name. He alleged that the Centre, equipped with the majority, is bulldozing the world largest scheme. This is not just renaming. The Government has introduced conditions which are to eliminate the scheme. Godse killed Gandhi physically, today they have killed him ideologically, Tiwari added. Earlier, initiating the discussion, Congress MP Mukul Wasnik stated that the Bill would have an adverse effect on crores of people. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Indu Bala Goswami said that 70 percent of the nations population resides in villages, and this Bill is aimed towards improving their lives. She added that the Bill would help build a Viksit Bharat. Priyanka Chaturvedi of Shiv Sena (UBT) said that her party opposed the Bill as it is against the poor, labourers and farmers The Bill was passed in dark Lok Sabha and another attempt is being to get passed in darkIn the name of god, they are trying to hide their wrongdoings. The Bill put a burden of Rs 29,000 crore on states therefore, they will not take it responsibility and give priority to this. Effectively it will kill employment. This should have been sent to the Select Committee and brought to the House, she said. While opposing the Bill, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Kumar Jha said that it is a piece of legislation, which has ignored the consultation door. The member of Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Ritabrata Banerjee sought to know why wider consultations with States and all stakeholders were not held before bringing the Bill. YSRCPs S Niranjan Reddy said that the Bill needs deeper introspection, and it should be sent to a Select Committee. AIADMKs M Thambidurai said that employment in rural India is a question of livelihood, security, and social stability. He said that any reform in such a crucial law must be examined with seriousness and responsibility. He added that the most significant and welcome feature of this Bill is the increase in the guaranteed number of employment days from 100 to 125 in a financial year.