"Bapu's dreams have been murdered": Congress' Imran Masood slams Centre over VB-G RAM G Bill

New Delhi [India], December 18 (ANI): Congress MP Imran Masood on Thursday criticised the Centre after the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha, alleging that the government has sabotaged the scheme and that it would adversely impact employment opportunities for labourers across the country.
Speaking to ANI, Masood said, "Bapu's dreams have been murdered. He dreamed that every poor person living in this country would have a lamp lit in their home. They have extinguished the lamp in the poor man's house. This scheme will not work now. When you were providing 90 per cent of the funds, and now you are implementing a 60:40 ratio, it raises serious questions."
Highlighting pending dues, Masood alleged that large sums owed to labourers have not been released even in states ruled by the BJP. "In Uttar Pradesh, Rs 1,100 crore is due to labourers this year. In Bihar, Rs 1,000 crore is due. In Maharashtra, Rs 650 crore is pending," he said.
He further alleged that dues were also pending in states where the BJP is not in power. "In West Bengal, Rs 2,300 crore is due and in Tamil Nadu, Rs 2,100 crore is pending because the Centre has not released the funds," Masood added.
Warning of the consequences, the Congress MP said that the changes would directly affect workers. "With such huge pending dues and a reduced funding ratio, labourers will not get employment," he said.
Earlier, Union Minister Chirag Paswan lashed out at the Opposition for creating ruckus in the Parliament during the passing of the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, saying that the role that the Opposition played in the passing of this Bill is "shameful."
The Union Minister alleged that the Congress MPs stood before the Chair and "shredded decorum."
BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad also criticised the opposition, saying, "What conduct did the Congress party exhibit in the Lok Sabha today? There was discussion for 10 hours until night. You had the chance to make your point, but when Shivraj Singh Chouhan came to respond, you were tearing up the bill. Has the Congress party now become an anarchic party?"
The Lok Sabha passed the Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025, which reframed the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) with an employment guarantee scheme during the ongoing winter session of Parliament.
The bill was passed amid opposition protests, leading to repeated disruptions and the adjournment of the House after a ruckus.The Bill aims to provide a statutory guarantee of 125 days of wage employment per financial year to every rural household, in line with the national vision of Viksit Bharat @2047. It also focuses on strengthening rural livelihoods and accelerating overall rural development. (ANI)