Congress accuses Centre of using VB-G RAM G to undermine rural workers’ rights

The Congress on Monday intensified its attack on the Centre over the proposed rollout of the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025, accusing the Narendra Modi government of attempting to centralise authority and dilute the legal protections available to rural workers under MGNREGA.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh criticised the Union Ministry of Rural Development’s latest statement on the proposed VB-G RAM G Act, describing it as a “headline-grabbing exercise” that failed to provide any substantive operational clarity on the transition from the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. “Today’s press release by the Union Ministry of Rural Development on VB-G RAM G adds nothing new to what is already known. It is yet another lazy headline-grabbing exercise by a Govt that specialises in such exercises,” Ramesh said in a statement.

Advertisement

Questioning the government’s preparedness for the proposed nationwide rollout from July 1, 2026, he said the absence of implementation details raised serious concerns. “No details have been revealed except to say that they will be released soon. If this replacement for MGNREGA is to be implemented from July 1, 2026, then all operational details should have been available by now,” he added.

The Congress leader also called for extensive consultations with state governments and stakeholders before replacing the existing rural employment framework. According to him, any discussions on the proposed legislation must go beyond a procedural formality. “Public consultations and discussions with state governments on these details have to be done in a meaningful manner and not just to complete a formality,” he said.

Stepping up the party’s criticism, he alleged that the proposed law would weaken labour protections and erode the bargaining power of rural workers. “But let there be no doubt. The only guarantee that VB-G RAM G offers is that of extreme centralisation and weakening of the bargaining power of rural labour. The constitutional right to work and the right to wages of rural Indian families is being stolen,” he said.

Earlier in the day, the Centre notified that the VB-G RAM G Act would replace MGNREGA across the country from July 1, 2026. The government said the new framework would provide 125 days of statutory employment guarantee and ensure a “seamless transition” from the existing scheme as part of its broader “Viksit Bharat” rural development vision.

MGNREGA, enacted in 2005 during the Congress-led UPA government, guarantees 100 days of employment annually to rural households and has long been projected by the Opposition as one of the country’s most significant social welfare legislations. Over the years, the scheme has frequently become a flashpoint between the BJP-led Centre and Opposition parties over issues such as budget allocations, wage delays and administrative controls.

The Congress has repeatedly accused the Modi government of weakening MGNREGA through reduced allocations and tighter central oversight, while the Centre has defended its reform agenda as necessary to improve transparency, efficiency and long-term rural asset creation.