Chandigarh, December 30:
The new Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB G RAM G) Act, 2025 promulgated by the Union Government has robbed the rural poor and marginalized communities of adequate employment avenues and is a death blow to them.
This was disclosed here today by the Food, Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs, Forest & Wildlife Preservation Minister Mr. Lal Chand Kataruchak in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha during a resolution moved by Cabinet Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond on the VB G RAM G scheme.
Tearing apart the new scheme, the Minister said that under the new act, if the State Government undertakes work that surpasses the budget allocation established by the Government of India, then 100% of the expenses incurred for that work will be fully borne by the State Government.
While the earlier MGNREGA scheme mandated that 100% of unskilled labour and administrative costs were covered by the Government of India, thereby placing only a limited financial burden on the states, the VB-G RAM G Act shifts to a 60:40 Centre-State sharing model. This change will impose an additional burden of thousands of crores of rupees on States that are already facing financial difficulties. Moreover, this alteration contradicts the spirit of the federal structure.
In a State like Punjab where MGNREGA primarily acts as a safety net for the poorest rural households, the impact of the VB-G RAM G Act could be even more severe. The number of person days under MGNREGA in Punjab has increased with each passing year in the last financial years. In such a situation, the provision of stopping work for 60 days during the agricultural season will have a direct negative impact on the income of job card holders, especially SCs, women and landless families.
During this 60-day period, skilled workers may receive some employment opportunities; however, they will not be paid a fixed daily wage as provided under the MGNREGA scheme.
Owing to the non-operation of MGNREGA during this period, women workers and elderly workers will have no alternative employment options. Consequently, they will neither receive adequate work opportunities nor be paid the daily wages guaranteed to them as a right under the MGNREGA Act, divulged Mr. Kataruchak.
In MGNREGA, the Gram Panchayat plays a crucial role, with at least 50% of the projects planned directly at the village level. However, in the VB-G RAM G Scheme, the establishment of a National Stack at the national level diminishes the significance of local needs and the Gram Sabha, leading to greater centralization.
The increased focus on technical monitoring under the VB-G RAM G Act—such as biometric authentication, geo-spatial schemes weakens the democratic and decision making roles of the Gram Sabha and Gram Panchayats. Technical glitches, server issues, or failures in the digital system can lead to interruptions in worker payments or even deprive them of work entirely.
This situation is particularly concerning for rural poor and marginalized communities who lack access to digital facilities, added Mr. Kataruchak.
