Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the Congress, accusing the party of indulging in “purely political clamour” and shedding “crocodile tears” over the replacement
of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the newly notified Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB–G RAM G).
In a detailed post on X, Chouhan said the Congress lacked both intent and policy commitment towards rural employment and had used Mahatma Gandhi’s name for electoral gains.
“This is the same Congress that repeatedly reduced MGNREGA’s budget and froze wages. Today, its leaders are pretending to be champions of the poor,” he said.
Defending the revamped rural employment framework, the minister said the new system focuses on technology-driven transparency and timely wage payments to ensure funds are credited directly to workers’ bank accounts.
He added that decision-making would now shift from Delhi to villages, with Gram Panchayats preparing their own employment plans.
Chouhan asserted that employment security under the new framework had been strengthened, not diluted. He said the number of guaranteed workdays had been enhanced from 100 to 125 days and provisions had been made for unemployment allowance if work is not provided within the stipulated time.
He also highlighted additional compensation in cases of delayed wage payments.
“The rights of workers are being ensured with dignity, not charity,” Chouhan said, adding that the scheme guarantees timely work within villages, dignified wages and safe working conditions. He said the focus was on sustainable income growth through transparent, time-bound payments and the creation of livelihood-linked assets.
The minister further said the powers of Gram Sabhas and Panchayats had been expanded, with local bodies tasked with identifying, prioritising, implementing and monitoring works.
Mandatory social audits, he said, would ensure public scrutiny of expenditure and payments, while special emphasis had been placed on the participation of women, self-help groups and local communities.
Acknowledging regional disparities, Chouhan said additional funds and support would be provided to the most backward panchayats where employment needs and infrastructure gaps remain acute.
Chouhan’s remarks came in response to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of the move.
Gandhi had said “MGNREGA was not merely a scheme but a system that ensured minimum wages for crores of poor people and provided direct financial support to the third tier of governance.”
He alleged that the change amounted to an “attack on India’s federal structure,” claiming funds were being centralised and that the decision was taken unilaterally by the Prime Minister’s Office without cabinet consultation.
The political exchange follows President Droupadi Murmu’s assent to the VB–GRAM G Bill, 2025, which was passed by Parliament during the Winter Session.
The new law formally replaces the UPA-era MGNREGA, 2005, marking a major overhaul of India’s rural employment and livelihood framework.
