New Delhi: Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan Tuesday moved in Lok Sabha to introduce the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025, that seeks to replace the existing rural employment law MGNREGA.
Opposition members strongly opposed the proposed legislation at the introduction stage and pressed for sending the bill to a parliamentary panel for greater scrutiny.
The MPs, including Priyanka Gandhi of the Congress, strongly objected to the removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s name as the government proposed the new rural employment law in place of MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005).
According to a copy of the Bill, it will provide a statutory guarantee of 125 days of wage employment in a financial year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to undertake unskilled manual work.
Within six months from the date of commencement of the VB-G RAM G Act, states will have to make a scheme consistent with the provisions of the new law.
In a statement, the Rural Development Ministry said the proposed legislation will establish a modern statutory framework aligned with the goal of ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’.
It said the Bill aims to create both employment and durable rural infrastructure through four priority verticals — water security through water-related works, core rural infrastructure, livelihood-related infrastructure, and special works to mitigate extreme weather events.
All assets created are aggregated into the Viksit Bharat National Rural Infrastructure Stack, ensuring a unified, coordinated national development strategy, the statement said.
The ministry termed it a “major upgrade” over MGNREGA, fixing structural weaknesses while enhancing employment, transparency, planning, and accountability.
PTI
