"Will strongly oppose in parliament and on streets": Mallikarjun Kharge slams BJP on MGNREGA scheme name change

New Delhi [India], December 15 (ANI): Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday launched a sharp attack on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party over a bill to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme (MGNREGA) to be introduced in the Parliament, calling it a “conspiracy of BJP-RSS to end MGNREGA.” 

In a post on X, Kharge alleged that this move was part of a larger attempt to weaken and ultimately dismantle the flagship rural employment scheme.

“This is not just about renaming the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. This is a BJP-RSS conspiracy to end MGNREGA. Erasing Gandhi's name on the centenary of the Sangh shows how hollow and hypocritical those are who, like Modi ji, offer flowers to Bapu on foreign soil. The government that recoils from the rights of the poor is the one that attacks MGNREGA,” Kharge posted on X. 

Emphasising that the Congress would not remain silent, Kharge said the party would oppose any such decision against the poor and workers, both inside and outside Parliament. 

“The Congress Party will strongly oppose in Parliament and on the streets any such decision of this arrogant regime that is against the poor and workers. We will not allow the rights of crores of poor people, laborers, and workers to be snatched away by those in power,” the post added. 

https://x.com/kharge/status/2000520844385419275?s=20

This comes after the Centre is set to introduce the Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB-G RAM G Bill, 2025, replacing the two-decade-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Bill (MGNREGA) with a modern, infrastructure-focused and digitally governed statutory system aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.

The Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevil 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 new bill guarantees 125 days of wage employment per rural household, up from the existing 100 days, for adult members willing to undertake unskilled manual work. Assets created under the programme will be aggregated into the Viksit Bharat National Rural Infrastructure Stack, enabling unified planning, monitoring and integration with national spatial platforms such as PM Gati-Shakti. The Bill also mandates Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans.

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)