A significant political and policy debate has been ignited following the Centre's introduction of the VB-G-Ram-G Act, a new job guarantee legislation set to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). The development comes a day after Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren voiced his concerns about the move.
Minister Seth Defends the Historic Step
On Wednesday, Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth strongly advocated for the new Act, describing it as a historic step from Gram Swaraj to Antyodaya and Viksit Bharat. He positioned the legislation as a transformative upgrade for India's rural employment framework.
Seth outlined the key benefits for workers, stating that VB-G-Ram-G offers many better facilities compared to MGNREGA. He emphasized two major improvements:
- A guaranteed provision of 125 days of work in a year.
- A strict mandate for compensation if wages are not paid within a maximum of two weeks.
Local Empowerment and National Coordination
The minister highlighted that the core innovation of the new Act lies in its governance structure. Schemes will now be formulated at the local level and coordinated at the national level. This shift aims to decentralize planning and make it more responsive to ground realities.
"Each gram panchayat will now be able to prepare schemes according to their specific needs," Seth explained. He asserted that this approach would ensure the quality of rural projects, timely implementation, and the achievement of set targets once the Act is fully rolled out.
Political Undertones and Congress Criticism
The minister's comments also carried a sharp political edge, directly targeting the opposition Congress party. He claimed that the Congress's primary apprehension stems from the new Act's focus on accountability.
"Congress’s main fear is that the new Act will ensure proper verification of job cardholders and fake ones will be deleted," Seth stated, implying that the previous scheme was marred by inaccuracies and potential misuse that the new law aims to eliminate.
The introduction of VB-G-Ram-G sets the stage for a renewed political discourse on rural employment, federalism, and the efficacy of long-standing social welfare schemes in India.
