Chandigarh, Jan 18 (PTI) Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Sunday described the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) as a strong foundation for improving
the living standards of hardworking labourers.
He said that this scheme is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guarantee to every worker in the country.
It ensures the right to work with dignity, timely wages, social respect, and a secure livelihood, Saini said while addressing the labourers at the state-level conference of the VB-G RAM G held in Panchkula.
Saini said that the PM's resolve to make India a developed nation by 2047 cannot be achieved without the development of villages and labourers.
He emphasised that the path to a developed India passes through its villages. The VB-G Ram G scheme is not merely an employment programme, but an initiative aimed at uplifting the lives of hardworking people, ensuring dignity of labour, and protecting their self-respect.
Saini further said that keeping in view the 'shortcomings' of MGNREGA, PM Modi has presented the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025 to the nation.
The VB-G RAM G was passed replacing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with a voice vote amid protests in the Rajya Sabha on December 18, last year, hours after the Lok Sabha cleared it.
The chief minister clarified that this is not just a renaming of MGNREGA, but a comprehensive modernisation of the rural employment system.
Saini said that the circumstances were very different when MGNREGA was first launched, but over time several shortcomings crept into the scheme, directly impacting workers.
He said that workers are well aware that in some places machines replaced manual labour, in others payments were made in fake names, and on many occasions, wages were delayed for months.
He further stated that in several parts of the country, corruption, fake job cards, the dominance of contractors, and the violation of workers' rights took place under the guise of MNREGA.
From CAG reports to social audits, it has repeatedly been revealed that while genuine workers continued to toil, others misappropriated the benefits meant for them, Saini said.
Launching a scathing attack on the opposition Congress party and its allies, the CM said that the Congress has become devoid of real issues and is resorting to misleading tactics to create confusion about the VB-G RAM G scheme.
He alleged that Congress leaders had turned the MGNREGA scheme into a means of livelihood for themselves rather than for labourers.
He said that during their tenure, the name of the scheme was changed repeatedly, but corruption continued unabated.
Saini said that it was due to the flawed policies of the Congress that the people of the country and the state have rejected the party.
He urged citizens not to be misled by Congress propaganda, stating that the party has consistently played with the interests of the poor and backward classes.
In contrast, he said, PM Modi is continuously working to improve the living standards of labourers, the poor, and the weaker sections of society through transparent and worker-centric policies.
Saini also criticized the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab, alleging that it is opposing the VB-G RAM G scheme solely for political considerations.
He said that despite "proven instances of corruption in wage payments to labourers under MGNREGA in Punjab, the state government has failed to take action against those responsible".
Comparing the payments made under MNREGA during the tenure of the current BJP government in Haryana with those made during the ten-year tenure of the Congress government, he said that more than Rs 5,000 crore has been paid to workers between October 2014 and October 2025.
In contrast, less than Rs 2,000 crore was dispersed during the decade-long Congress regime, he said.
He said this clearly demonstrates that the present government has provided employment to a larger number of workers, ensured greater transparency in fund disbursement, and placed the dignity of labour at the forefront of its governance agenda.
The CM added that under the VB-G RAM G scheme, the rights of workers have become stronger than ever before.
Earlier, Saini interacted with beneficiaries of the scheme from various districts and heard firsthand about their experiences with the VB-G RAM G scheme. PTI SUN NB
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