Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien on Monday vehemently criticised the government’s plan to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), describing it as an “insult to Mahatma Gandhi.” In a post on social media platform X, O’Brien stated, “Removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name… This is an insult to Gandhiji. Are you surprised? These are the same people who hero-worshipped the man who killed Mahatma Gandhi. They want to insult Gandhiji. We will never allow this to happen.”
The controversy arose even as the government decided not to proceed with introducing the “Viksit Bharat—Guarantee For Rozgar And Ajeevika Mission (Gramin)” Bill, 2025, which was intended to replace MGNREGA. Despite being listed in the Lok Sabha’s supplementary business alongside three other bills, the government deferred the move, reportedly due to anticipated strong opposition. Instead, Parliament shifted focus to the discussion and voting on the Supplementary Demands for Grants for the fiscal year 2025-2026.
While advancing three other major bills targeting legal reform, higher education, and nuclear energy development, the government chose to exercise caution on the rural employment legislation amid its political sensitivities.
The proposed Viksit Bharat-Gramin Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Bill, 2025, aims to increase guaranteed workdays from 100 to 125 per year and reorient the scheme towards building durable rural infrastructure and resilience. Earlier, Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had explained, “This new legislation aims to move beyond livelihood security to build rural infrastructure in alignment with the national vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. It emphasises empowerment, growth, convergence, and saturation through public works focusing on water security, core rural infrastructure, and special works to mitigate extreme weather events.”
The bill is designed as a centrally sponsored scheme with states sharing financial responsibility. The Centre will fund 90 per cent of the costs for North Eastern and Himalayan states, while other states will contribute 40 per cent.
Opposition leaders, including Congress’s Priyanka Gandhi, have also sharply criticised the removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the scheme, questioning the government’s rationale. The government, however, argues that the proposed bill better reflects the changing socio-economic landscape in rural India, highlighting advances in connectivity, housing, electrification, and financial inclusion since the original act’s enactment in 2005.
As the debate intensifies, the government is expected to revisit the bill when the parliamentary composition favours a comfortable passage, ensuring a strong presence of ruling party MPs on the floor of the house during the voting. The renaming and restructuring of the rural employment scheme remain sensitive and closely watched issues in the political landscape.