By- Paramita Datta
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, condemned the government’s proposed Bill to replace MGNREGA, asserting that it would undermine the law ensuring 100 days of employment for the poorest citizens.
Priyanka Gandhi stated that renaming schemes cost the country a significant amount, and she fails to comprehend the government’s reasoning behind this. She addressed journalists in the Parliament House area.
She stated that MGNREGA provides the poorest citizens with the entitlement to 100 days of work, but the new Bill will undermine this entitlement.
She also mentioned that the government has included several elements in the Bill that suggest workdays may be longer, but she raised doubts about whether wages have been raised and that the government has been reducing funds for MGNREGA for many years. Also, no matter where one travels, employees claim they have not been paid.
The Congress has vehemently resisted a new Bill designed to substitute MGNREGA. It stated that omitting Mahatma Gandhi’s name indicates that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s regard for the Father of the Nation is insincere.
The Opposition party asserted that the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025, undermines the fundamental concept of guaranteed rights. It stated that the new programme is detrimental to States and labourers, contradicting Mahatma Gandhi’s principles. The Bill is anticipated to be presented in the Lok Sabha in the ongoing Winter session of Parliament.
Under the Bill, all rural families will be entitled to a legal guarantee of 125 days of paid employment annually. Any adult family member who is open to performing unskilled manual labour may participate. Each State must create its own plan that adheres to the regulations of this new law within six months of its enactment.
The expense of the programme will be divided between the Central and State Governments. For Northeastern and Himalayan States, the Central government will cover 90% and the State will cover 10%. For additional States and Union Territories with a legislature, the Centre will contribute 60% while the State will contribute 40%. For Union Territories lacking a legislature, the central government will cover the entire expense. The Central Government provides complete funding for the MGNREGS scheme.