The Punjab Legislative Assembly convened for a one-day special session on Tuesday, which is expected to be a contentious affair. The primary agenda is to deliberate the replacement of the long-standing Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the newly enacted Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), or VB-G RAM G.
Political Crossfire Over Legislative Process
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, addressing media persons on Monday, defended the decision to call the special session. He stated it was specifically convened to address the significant policy shift of replacing MGNREGA. Mann assured that even the Congress party, which has planned protests against the new law, would be given the floor to speak.
Mann launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), questioning its moral authority to critique Punjab's legislative process. He pointed out that the BJP-led central government had truncated the winter session of Parliament and introduced the VB-G RAM G Bill just 14 hours before its conclusion. "(BJP Punjab chief) Sunil Jakhar has no moral right to question our legislative process," Mann asserted.
He also rejected the Congress's allegation that workers received only 26 days of work against the 100-day guarantee under MGNREGA during the AAP government's tenure. Mann promised that the treasury benches would present comparative data on employment offered under the scheme by successive governments.
Contentious Provisions of the New Law
The Aam Aadmi Party government has raised several concerns about the VB-G RAM G scheme, which was enacted this month to replace the nearly two-decade-old MGNREGA. A key point of contention is the increased financial burden on states. The Centre has increased the state's share of funding to 40% under the new scheme.
Furthermore, the AAP government highlighted that VB-G RAM G imposes restrictions on village-level works. For instance, activities like cleaning ponds are now permitted only once every five years. The new law also excludes the construction of schools or mandis (market yards), which were previously allowed under MGNREGA.
CM Mann stated that the session would also bring on record the details of changes made by the Centre to the rural employment scheme and their potential impact on the economically weak sections of society.
Opposition's Counter-Demands and Criticism
The opposition parties have not held back their criticism. Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring challenged the AAP government to stop complaining and instead launch its own state-specific rural employment scheme. He proposed a guarantee of 150 days of work at a daily wage of Rs 400 if the government truly cared for the poor. Warring also claimed that the AAP failed to provide even 50% of the targeted workdays under the old 90:10 fund-sharing ratio.
BJP's Sunil Jakhar, meanwhile, dismissed the special session as a "propaganda exercise." He suggested that the government would be better served using a special session to discuss the deteriorating law and order situation in Punjab, including frequent murders and extortion threats being reported almost daily.
As per the tentative programme, the session began by paying tributes to the "unparalleled martyrdom of 4 Sahibzadas of Guru Gobind Singh Ji." The VB-G RAM G law marks a strategic shift from a demand-driven welfare safety net to a development-oriented mission, increasing the statutory employment guarantee from 100 to 125 days per household annually.
