In a significant demonstration of dissent, close to 150 members of the Congress party staged a protest in Madurai on Friday. The agitation was directed against the Union government's recent move to introduce the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025. This proposed legislation aims to replace the long-standing Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) of 2005.
Congress Leaders Decry Erosion of a Landmark Scheme
Addressing the gathering, V Karthikeyan, the president of the Madurai district Congress committee, launched a sharp critique of the new Bill. He emphasized that MGNREGA was a pioneering welfare law enacted during the tenure of the Manmohan Singh-led Congress government. Its core purpose was to act as a crucial safety net for India's rural poor by legally guaranteeing unskilled manual work.
Karthikeyan argued that introducing a Bill to replace this scheme is ill-timed, given that unemployment continues to be a major concern across the country. He expressed strong objection to the removal of Mahatma Gandhi's name from the legislation, interpreting it as a deliberate attempt to dilute the legacy of the Father of the Nation and weaken the program's ideological underpinnings.
Allegations of Weakened Implementation and Financial Burden
The Congress leader leveled serious allegations regarding the current state of MGNREGA under the present administration. He claimed there has been a noticeable reduction in both wages and the number of workdays provided under the scheme. According to him, the original promise of guaranteeing 100 days of employment per rural household annually is no longer being fully honored.
A major point of contention highlighted in the protest was the proposed 60:40 cost-sharing model between the Central and State governments outlined in the new Bill. Karthikeyan warned that this financial arrangement would place a heavy additional burden on state coffers, potentially crippling the effective implementation of the rural job guarantee initiative.
Parliament Passes Bill Amidst Opposition Concerns
The VB-G Ram G Bill was passed by Parliament earlier this week. The government has defended the legislation, stating that it aligns with the broader Viksit Bharat 2047 vision for a developed India. However, the protest in Madurai underscores the growing political friction surrounding this pivotal policy shift.
The demonstration signals that the replacement of MGNREGA is likely to become a flashpoint in national political discourse, with opposition parties framing it as a move that jeopardizes social security for millions of rural workers.
