Centre doesn't want people to remember good work done by previous govts: Sachin Pilot on renaming MGNREGA

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 18 (ANI): Congress leader Sachin Pilot expressed his discontent with the Central government over the renaming of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) as Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025. He said the current government doesn't want people to remember the good work of previous governments.
Speaking to reporters, Sachin Pilot said, "Why did the government bring this bill? When Prime Minister Modi's government came to power in 2014, they said that MGNREGA was a big mistake of the Congress government. Even after 11 years, they haven't scrapped this scheme because it's a scheme that provides 100 days of employment. What was the need to remove the name of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, from this scheme? This government doesn't want people to remember the good work done by previous governments."
"They have brought this bill just to change the name; how will this benefit the public? The uproar in the Parliament was right. What is the problem with Mahatma Gandhi's name? The public will demand answers from them," he added.
He further said that in independent India, this was the first time that the name of Mahatma Gandhi was being removed from any scheme.
Earlier, Union Minister Chirag Paswan on Thursday 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".
Speaking to reporters, Paswan said, "G-RAM-G scheme was brought with an idea to strengthen the villages of the country - the idea to empower the poor, to minimise the distance between villages and cities. Mahatma Gandhi had said that India's soul lives in villages. With the idea of strengthening those villages, this scheme has been brought."
"I think that the role that the Opposition played in the passing of this Bill is shameful. The oldest party of the country trampled on old traditions, it can never be accepted. Do oppose, you have the right to do so. But if you want to further your mindset by demolishing decorum...Congress MPs stood before the Chair and shredded decorum. If you present your ideas like that, it is not in line with traditions and this will never be accepted," he further stated.
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. (ANI)