Left Front declares national protest against ‘G-RAM-G’ Bill, defends MGNREGA legacy

In a major challenge to the Union Government’s proposed labour reforms, five Left parties have called for a nationwide protest on December 22. The mobilisation aims to oppose the replacement of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the newly proposed Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025 (VB G-RAM-G Bill).

The joint front—comprising the CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML) Liberation, RSP, and All India Forward Bloc—released a scathing statement on Wednesday, labeling the new legislation a deliberate attempt to dismantle India’s rural safety net.

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The Left leadership argues that the “G-RAM-G” Bill effectively ends the “demand-driven” nature of rural employment, which has been a legal right since 2005. A central point of conflict is the shifting financial burden from the Centre to the States. Under the new proposal, state governments would be responsible for financing unemployment allowances, covering compensation for payment delays, and contributing a significantly higher share of the overall program expenditure.

The Left parties contend this move places an “unsustainable” strain on state exchequers while centralising decision-making power in New Delhi.

While the government highlights an increase in guaranteed workdays from 100 to 125, the Left parties dismissed the claim as a “jumla” (empty promise).

They highlighted several restrictive clauses in the new bill:
Seasonal Suspensions: Work can be suspended for up to 60 days during peak agricultural seasons, which critics say forces workers back into dependency on local landlords.

Job Card Rationalisation: The parties fear large-scale exclusion of rural households under the guise of streamlining records.
Mandatory Digital Attendance: The joint statement called for the removal of digital tracking, which they claim has already led to the denial of wages for many.

“The removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s name is not just a rebranding; it is an affront to his legacy and reflects the hostility of the BJP and RSS toward the Mahatma,” the joint statement said. The Left parties were instrumental in the original passage of MGNREGA in 2005 while supporting the UPA government from outside.