Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday defended the government’s decision to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, insisting that the new law strengthens, rather than weakens, the legal right to rural employment. Responding to sharp opposition criticism, Chouhan said, “Once again, a conspiracy is afoot to mislead the nation in the name of MGNREGA. Misinformation is being spread, whereas the truth is that Viksit Bharat: Jai Ram Ji Yojana is the next step forward for MGNREGA.” He argued that the legislation expands entitlements for workers, noting, “Brother Workers, now it’s not 100, but a legal guarantee of 125 days of work.”
Chouhan said safeguards for labourers had been reinforced under the new framework. “Provisions for unemployment allowance in case work isn’t provided have been further strengthened. If wages are delayed, there’s also a provision for additional payment,” he said. Stressing the scale of financial backing, he added, “For this scheme, a massive sum of more than Rs 1,51,282 crore has been proposed this very year, ensuring sufficient funds for providing employment, and enabling the all-round development of villages with those resources. ”He outlined the broader development goals linked to the scheme, saying, “For a developed India, we shall undertake water conservation, village infrastructure projects, livelihood activities, and disaster prevention measures to build developed villages, self-reliant villages, and poverty-free, employment-rich villages.” Addressing concerns from farmers, Chouhan said, “Alongside the guarantee of 125 days of employment, provisions have been made so that small farmers—our brothers and sisters—face no difficulties during agricultural work.”Calling the law pro-poor, he said, “This law is in favour of the poor, in favour of development, and it provides a complete guarantee of employment to workers. It fulfils the resolve to build developed villages for the creation of a developed India.”His remarks came amid fierce protests by the Opposition, led by the Congress, which has accused the government of dismantling MGNREGA and removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name without consultation. Parliament passed the VB-G RAM G Bill on Dec 18 amid disruptions by the opposition. Go to Source
