Hubli (Karnataka) [India], December 21 (ANI): Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Sunday dismissed the claim that the recently passed Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill is an attempt to snatch employment opportunities from people, saying that the scheme instead will bring in more transparency, improve infrastructure and help with reverse migration.

'It is the most progressive bill. Some people are opposing it, claiming it will snatch employment opportunities in rural areas, which is false. It will bring transparency, and the number of job days has been increased from 100 to 125. It will improve rural infrastructure, support higher employment and consumption, and help in reverse migration,' the Union Minister said.

The Minister's remarks come amid strong opposition from the Congress party towards the changes to the national rural employment scheme, previously known as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). The party claims that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has 'bulldozed' the right to work legislation, and is using the scheme to put undue financial burden on the states.

Congress leader K C Venugopal accused the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)-led Centre of dismantling the act, saying that it has been reduced from a legal right to a 'favour'.

Parliament on Friday passed the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025 (VB-G RAM-G Bill) during the Winter Session of Parliament.

In a post on X, Venugopal said, 'The Modi government has effectively dismantled MGNREGA - by converting it from a right to a favour.' He stressed that MGNREGA was never meant to be a welfare handout. 'MGNREGA was a legal right to work, not a welfare handout,' he said.

Venugopal alleged that the BJP-led government has weakened the scheme by restricting funds and centralising decision-making. 'By capping funds, centralising control, and altering its demand-driven nature, the BJP has turned this right into a budget-dependent scheme,' he said, claiming that the move has pushed 'crores of rural families into insecurity and distress.'

However, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shivraj Singh has said that there is a 'conspiracy' to mislead the country in the name of MGNREGA.

'Misinformation is being spread, whereas the truth is that Viksit Bharat G Ram G Scheme is the next step forward for MGNREGA. Worker brothers, now it's not 100, but a legal guarantee of 125 days of work. Provisions for unemployment allowance in case work is not provided have been further strengthened. If wages are delayed, provisions have also been made to provide additional amounts,' the union minister said.

The government has proposed Rs 1,51,282 crore to be allocated for the scheme, meant to facilitate employment opportunities and comprehensive development of villages.

The Bill guarantees 125 days of wage employment per rural household, up from the existing 100 days, for adult members willing to undertake unskilled manual work.

As per Section 22 of the Bill, the fund-sharing pattern between the Central Government and the State Governments will be 60:40, while for the North Eastern States, Himalayan States, and Union Territories (Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir), it will be 90:10.

Section 6 of the Bill allows the state governments to notify in advance, a period aggregating to sixty days in a financial year, covering the peak agricultural seasons of sowing and harvesting. (ANI)