The Centre on Tuesday defended the renaming of the rural job scheme MGNREGA to VB-G RAM G and the increased funding burden on the states.
The Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Gramin (VB-G RAM G) law seeks to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) on April 1.
During a discussion in the Rajya Sabha on the functioning of the rural development ministry, the Opposition criticised the government for removing Gandhi's name from the job scheme and changing the funding pattern.
In his reply, rural development minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday said the government respects Mahatma Gandhi. "Bapu is in our thoughts and works. Bapu had said that the Congress should be dissolved and replaced with a Lok Sevak Sangh. You never obeyed Bapu. The partition of India and imposition of Emergency were against the thoughts of Bapu," he said.
On the VB-G RAM G funding "imbalance", Chouhan said: "...The states have made provisions in their budgets. The economic condition of India is becoming stronger. The Centre's and states' budgets are increasing. States are getting a higher share from the divisible pool of central taxes."
