DMK Accuses Centre of Diluting MGNREGA Rights with New VB-G RAM G Bill
DMK criticizes Centre's VB-G RAM G Bill for weakening rural job guarantees and undermining federal rights.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Saturday sharply criticized the BJP-led Union government for replacing the 20-year-old MGNREGA with the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, or VB-G RAM G. The party argued that the move weakens fundamental rural employment guarantees and undermines federal principles.
In an editorial in its mouthpiece Murasoli, the DMK claimed that the controversy over removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the scheme is minor compared to broader policy changes that dilute the right to work. The party contended that assurances of 125 days of employment are hollow, as the new law allows the Centre to suspend or limit the programme at its discretion.
The editorial raised concerns over the Centre-State cost-sharing ratio of 60:40, saying it forces states to shoulder excessive financial burdens for a Union-mandated scheme. DMK also criticized clauses that restrict job generation during peak agricultural seasons, potentially harming thousands of rural workers who are not engaged in farming.
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Another major concern highlighted was the decision to use the Centre’s Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) to determine beneficiaries. The DMK warned that states like Tamil Nadu, which have reduced poverty significantly, could be deprived of rightful access to rural jobs if poverty is deemed "eliminated" based on selective national data.
The party also emphasized that unlike MGNREGA, which legally guaranteed the right to work, the VB-G RAM G Bill provides employment only if it is available. Provisions allowing the Centre to determine job quotas for each state were described as an attack on federal autonomy and a tool that could disadvantage non-BJP-ruled states.
The DMK further criticized AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami for focusing solely on restoring Mahatma Gandhi’s name while remaining silent on broader policy changes. The editorial accused him of misleading the public on other national issues and stressed that the new law threatens to erode both rural employment guarantees and state authority.
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