"It seeks to undermine foundational objectives of scheme": Kerala CM Vijayan criticises Centre's move to rename MGNREGA

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], December 15 (ANI): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday strongly opposed the Centre's proposal to rename MGNREGA, saying that the bill seeks to "undermine the very foundational objectives" of the employment guarantee scheme.
In a post on Facebook, Vijayan said the Centre's move to rename MGNREGA as VB-G RAM G -- Viksit Bharat: Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) reflects the "Sangh Parivar's ideological hostility" towards Mahatma Gandhi and the values associated with his name.
The social media post reads, "The decision of the Union government to rename and restructure the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) is being strongly opposed. The move clearly reflects the Sangh Parivar's deep-rooted hostility towards Mahatma Gandhi's name and ideology. Through the new bill, the Union government has renamed the employment guarantee scheme as VB-G RAM G -- Viksit Bharat: Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Grameen). However, the bill goes far beyond a mere change of name. It seeks to undermine the very foundational objectives of the employment guarantee scheme."
Chief Minister Vijayan said the new bill would allow the Union government to predetermine annual allocations for states based on select parameters, thereby weakening the guarantee element and limiting the ability of states to respond to actual demand on the ground.
The post reads, "The provisions of the bill impose a heavy financial burden on the states. The core agenda behind the bill is to convert the scheme from a demand-driven programme into an allocation-based scheme. Under the existing framework, employment was provided based on demand from the unemployed. The proposed change would allow the Union government to pre-determine annual allocations to states based on certain parameters."
"At present, the Union government bears 100 percent of the wage component, while the material component is shared in a 75:25 ratio between the Union and state governments. The bill proposes to change both components to a 60:40 cost-sharing ratio between the Union and the states," it added.
The Chief Minister cautioned that once the bill becomes law, Kerala would face a sharp reduction in Union budgetary support for the scheme, with the Centre contributing only 60 per cent of the total expenditure.
"Once this bill becomes law, Kerala will face a significant reduction in its share of Union budget allocations for the scheme, with the Union government contributing only 60 percent of the total expenditure. The Union government's move is aimed at weakening the employment guarantee scheme, which serves as a lifeline for the poor. The Centre must withdraw from this proposed legislation that shifts an increased financial burden onto the states," the post added.
The Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025, aims to envision aligning rural development with the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, focusing on empowerment, growth, convergence and saturation to build a prosperous and resilient rural Bharat.
Under the bill, public works will be aggregated to form the Viksit Bharat National Rural Infrastructure Stack, prioritising water security, core rural infrastructure, livelihood-related projects, and climate-resilient initiatives. It also aims to ensure adequate farm-labour availability during peak agricultural seasons and to institutionalise Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans for integrated, saturation-driven planning.
These plans will be linked with PM Gati Shakti, powered by geospatial systems digital public infrastructure, and district- and state-level planning mechanisms.
The bill mandates a modern digital governance framework that incorporates biometric authentication, GPS and mobile-based monitoring, real-time dashboards, proactive disclosures and Artificial Intelligence tools for planning, auditing, and fraud risk mitigation.
The major definitions under the bill include adult members (aged one year or older), households, Blocks, implementing agencies, unskilled manual work, and the Viksit Gram Panchayat Plan.
The legislation also establishes Central and State Grameen Rozgar Guarantee Councils, as well as National and State-level Steering Committees to oversee implementation. (ANI)