Senior Congress leader and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday strongly opposed the Centre’s proposed Bill to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), calling it an attempt to weaken a landmark law that has supported rural livelihoods for nearly two decades. She said no legislation should be passed based on “whim, ambition and prejudice” and demanded the withdrawal of the Bill.
The Bill also referred to as the G Ram G Bill, aims to replace MGNREGA. Meanwhile, the Congress staged a protest on the Parliament premises against the proposed legislation, with party leaders holding photographs of Mahatma Gandhi, after whom MGNREGA is named.
In the Lok Sabha, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan sought permission to introduce the Viksit Bharat Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025.
Priyanka Opposes Bill Move
Priyanka Gandhi opposed the introduction of the Bill under Rule 72(1) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the House. “MGNREGA has been successful in providing livelihood to rural India and strengthening the rural economy for 20 years. It is a revolutionary law that received support from all political parties when it was introduced. It guarantees 100 days of employment in a year to the poorest of the poor,” she said in the House.
MGNREGA, enacted in 2005 by the UPA government, guarantees 100 days of paid work annually to rural households and has been widely credited with boosting rural incomes and economic resilience.
Funding, Rights Under Fire
Priyanka Gandhi argued that MGNREGA is demand-driven, with funding linked to actual demand for work, while the new Bill allows the Centre to decide allocations in advance. She also said the proposed law weakens the role of Gram Sabhas, which currently assess local employment needs. “The right to employment is being weakened, and this goes against the spirit of the Constitution,” she said.
