Rahul Gandhi Calls G RAM G Bill ‘Insult to Mahatma Gandhi’s Ideals’
Congress accuses Centre of dismantling rural job security by replacing MGNREGA framework
- Rahul Gandhi calls G RAM G Bill an insult to Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals
- Congress alleges Centre is dismantling legal right to rural employment
- Opposition protests funding shift, says states face heavier financial burden
- Government defends Bill as aligned with Viksit Bharat 2047 vision
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 16th Dec: Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led Centre over the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025, which seeks to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
Calling the proposed legislation an “insult to the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi,” Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of systematically weakening and now attempting to dismantle one of India’s most important rural safety-net programmes. He alleged that the move threatens the livelihoods of millions of rural households already grappling with unemployment.
In a post on X, Gandhi said MGNREGA embodied Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of village self-rule and guaranteed dignity through the right to work. “MGNREGA became a lifeline for rural India, especially during COVID. But Prime Minister Modi has been irritated by this scheme since 2014 and is now determined to wipe it out completely,” he said, asserting that the Congress would oppose the Bill at every level.
The introduction of the G RAM G Bill in the Lok Sabha triggered protests from opposition MPs, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor. Objections were raised over the removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the scheme and changes to its funding structure.
Under MGNREGA, the Centre bears 100 per cent of unskilled labour wages, while states contribute a smaller share. The new Bill proposes a 60:40 cost-sharing model between the Centre and states, a shift critics say will strain state finances and dilute the legal guarantee of employment. Even leaders from BJP ally Telugu Desam Party have flagged concerns over the increased fiscal burden on states.
The government, however, maintains that the G RAM G framework aligns with the broader “Viksit Bharat 2047” vision, arguing that the shift to a normative funding model will make rural employment schemes more structured and sustainable.
