The Opposition parties on Tuesday expressed fear over rural job security under the recently enacted Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Grameen) (VB-G RAM G) Act, which has increased the funding burden on states.
During a discussion in the Rajya Sabha on the functioning of the ministry of rural development (MoRD), the Opposition parties slammed the government for increasing the funds burden of states from 10 per cent under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to 40 per cent under the VB-G RAM G Act.
The VB-G RAM G Act, which is expected to be rolled out in April, seeks to guarantee 125 days of work in a year to every rural household, up from 100 days guaranteed under the MGNREGA.
The new law empowers the Centre to notify rural areas for implementation and fix the allocation for each state. It also requires states to bear all expenses exceeding the normative budget approved by the Centre.
Congress Rajya Sabha member Rajani A. Patil said increasing the states’ share to 40 per cent would put them at a disadvantage. If some states fail to shovel the required funds into the scheme, workers will not be paid on time. “If workers do not get their wages on time, they will face financial distress and the purpose of the job scheme will be defeated. It will lead to an increase in migration of rural people,” Patil said.
NCP member Fauzia Khan said women constitute half the workers under the MGNREGA, which gave them dignity and bargaining power. Khan said experts had estimated that ₹2.3 lakh crore would be needed in 2026-27 for the VB-G RAM G Act to ensure 125 days of work to rural families. However, the Centre has allocated ₹95,000 crore for the scheme, and the states are expected to bear ₹56,000 crore. She said a rural family got 48 days of work on average under the MGNREGA. “The guarantee of 125 days under VB-G RAM G is unlikely to be realised,” she said.
Trinamool Congress leader Md Nadimul Haque accused the Centre of violating the Calcutta High Court order by not resuming work in the state under the MGNREGA. The MoRD has not released funds to Bengal since 2022, citing irregularities. The high court had directed the MoRD to resume work from August 1, 2025, but no action was taken in this regard.
CPM leader John Brittas accused the government of rushing the VB-G RAM G Bill through the House during the winter session without proper debate. The Opposition had demanded that the bill be sent to a select committee for detailed examination. Brittas said the thrust of the VB-G RAM G law was the concentration of power in Delhi.
YSR Congress Party member Golla Baburao, BJD’s Sulata Deo, RJD’s Sanjay Yadav and Samajwadi Party’s Ramji Lal Suman said most states would fail to contribute a 40 per cent share given their poor economic condition.