Congress to protest VB-G RAM-G bill across Tripura on December 21

The opposition Indian National Congress has announced statewide protests in Tripura on December 21, against the Centre’s decision to replace the 20-year-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), or VB-G RAM-G.

Senior Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman said the BJP-led government pushed the Bill through Parliament while ignoring the concerns of millions who have benefitted from the UPA-era employment scheme. “Congress has no objection to the word ‘Ram’ in the name, but removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name from a historic law is unacceptable. The NDA government has not only dropped the Father of the Nation’s name but also curtailed the rights of crores of job card holders,” he alleged.

Roy Barman said the new Bill proposes 125 days of work per job card holder, with funding to be shared between the Centre and states in a 60:40 ratio. “This will place a heavier financial burden on states, many of which are already facing severe fiscal stress,” he said.

He added that the Congress will organise block-level rallies across Tripura to oppose the legislation. “We believe people who have benefitted from MGNREGA will join the demonstrations in large numbers,” Roy Barman said.

The Parliament of India passed the VB-G RAM-G Bill, formally paving the way for the replacement of MGNREGA with the new rural employment and livelihood scheme.