Siddaramaiah Demands Parliament Debate on VB-G RAM G Funding After Naidu’s Concerns

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday urged a full parliamentary debate on the VB-G RAM G Act, following reports that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has raised serious concerns with the Union government over its funding pattern and increased financial burden on states. Siddaramaiah described Naidu’s objections—coming from a key NDA ally—as politically significant and a clear indication of internal rifts within the ruling coalition at the Centre.

In a post on X, the Chief Minister highlighted that Congress and Opposition-ruled states, including Karnataka, have warned for months that the VB-G RAM G Act undermines cooperative federalism by shifting major financial responsibility onto states. “A BJP ally now echoing these concerns exposes a clear rupture within the NDA and undermines the BJP’s defence of the law,” Siddaramaiah said. He questioned why similar objections from Opposition states were earlier dismissed as mere political criticism.

Siddaramaiah drew a sharp contrast between the new Act and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). Under MGNREGA, rural employment was a legal right backed by assured central funding. The VB-G RAM G Act, he argued, removes that statutory guarantee, turning implementation into a matter of negotiation and bargaining. “When a Chief Minister is compelled to seek alternative financial support through private discussions, it signals that access to funds is being determined by bargaining power rather than by law,” he noted, warning that this risks politicising allocations and disadvantaging Opposition-ruled states like Karnataka.

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The Chief Minister stressed that selective concessions or private assurances cannot resolve fundamental issues of federal structure and equity. He reiterated the Congress demand for the complete repeal of the VB-G RAM G Act and restoration of MGNREGA with necessary reforms to protect rural employment as a guaranteed right.

The exchange underscores growing tensions over Centre-State financial relations, especially after Naidu’s reported reservations added weight to long-standing criticisms from non-BJP governments. Siddaramaiah’s call for a parliamentary debate aims to bring the funding controversy into open legislative scrutiny.

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