VB‑G RAM G Bill passed amid opposition uproar, MGNREGA set to be buried
With the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) too passing the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) 2025 Bill (VB-G RAM G Bill for short) on Friday, the stage is set for the burial of MGNREGP 2005 Legislation, and rural India is in for a rejuvenation that would benefit millions of unskilled workers spread across the country. The next stage is to send the Bill for the consideration and approval of the President. Once the President signs the Bill, it will become full-fledged legislation.
As seen on Wednesday and Thursday during the discussion on the Bill in Lok Sabha which was passed by voice vote amidst the uproar and ugly scenes created by the Congress led opposition, the upper house too witnessed shameless shouting and tearing of the copies of the Bill and throwing the pieces on the Speaker as well as Shivraj Singh Chauhan, the union minister for rural development. The Opposition trooped into the well of the House, shouting slogans against the Government and the BJP.
The ire of the opposition to the legislation was that the name Mahatma Gandhi had been deleted and substituted with RAM, a nemesis to the secular, liberal, and political parties like the Congress, Trinamool Congress, DMK, Communists, and Muslim League. They forgot the fact that the name RAM in the Bill stands for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission.
Questions are being raised outside the Parliament that perhaps the prefix MG in the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act represents Madam Gandhi or Maino Gandhi, and that is why the Congress became furious at the new legislation. What the opposition goofed up in the House was an opportunity to make the government send the Bill to the parliamentary committee for scrutiny. If they had cooperated and taken part in the discussion, the Government would have agreed to send the Bill to the parliamentary committee.
Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, was conspicuous by his absence as he is on a European tour to drum up support for his protests against the Government. The VB-G RAM G Bill envisages 125 days of work per year for all unskilled laborers in rural areas. The distinct nature of the Bill is that it has taken into consideration the woes of the agriculturists who have been complaining that they are forced to stop all farming operations due to the unavailability of farm workers. The workers are engaged in NREGA work, which is executed haphazardly without any planning. Once the VB-G RAM G Bill takeseffect, unskilled workers will receive 125 days of work and60 days ofemployment in farm lands during the agricultural season. Moreover, States are bound to pay 15 days’ wages to all workers if the government fails to launch any projects that would have given them assured employment.
Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan told the House thatthe VB-G RAM G Bill envisions theconstruction of assets throughemployment provided under this scheme. Hitherto, the workers were asked to dig pits and cut grass under the pretext of offering them employment. All over the country, one could see queues of NREGA workers waiting for their morning quota of spirits in front of toddy and arrack shops. Chauhan’s take on the change of name: This is a prelude to the establishment of Ram Rajya, which was the dream of the Father of the Nation.
That phase of the employment guarantee is over. Now it is the responsibility of the State government to deploy these unskilled laborers to execute works with which they have to construct village roads to improve the rural connectivity, dig ponds to meet drinking water and farm operation needs.
The Prime Minister has spoken on the opening day of the winter session of both Houses that the new legislation would address four priority areas. They include ensuring water security, creating core rural infrastructure, livelihood-related infrastructure, which includes improving market facilities, and climate resilience strategies like soil conservation and flood control. The State govrnments should give advance information to the center about the projects they are taking up as part of the VB-G RAM G Act. The Rural Employment Guarantee Act, which was being funded by the Center till now, has been revised. Hereafter, the Centre would meet 60 percent of the expenses while the state would have to bear the remaining 40 percent. The expenses for union territories without legislatures, the states, and union territories in hill regions, too, would get massive assistance from the Centre.
The reply given by Chauhan in both Houses of Parliament focused on asset creation in villages as part of the VB-G RAM G Act. The Prime Minister had pointed out with facts and figures that the MGNREGA 2005, described as the flagship program of the Manmohan Singh-led government, was a monumental failure.
Though states like Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu have claimed that the new legislation would lead to the loss of livelihood of crores of people, they failed to explain how it would happen. This gave credence to the feeling that the opposition is opposing for the sake of opposition.
The last three days of the session are proof of the solidarity and unity among the Opposition benches for the removal of Narendra Modi from the chair of Prime Minister. The Congress court jesters believe that when Rahul Gandhi returns after his European jaunt. He is likely to bring hydrogen or even plutonium bombs with him.
The tenure in opposition benches moulds new leaders. History is replete with stories of leaders who made it to the top job through sheer hard work and the scintillating speeches they made in the legislative/ parliamentary discussions. Many in the BJP shot into prominence through their perseverance and dedication as opposition party members. But what we see in today’s opposition benches is disgusting and disappointing. Except for the “shame, shame” calls made by the shouting brigade that include Hiby Eden, Shafi Parambil, and Rajmohan Unnithan during the supercilious speeches delivered by the siblings Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, no MPs belonging to the Congress have proved their mettle. Shashi Tharoor was an exception as he opposed the Bill, taking recourse to a Hindi film song “Dekho O Deewano Tum Ye Kaam Na Karo.. Ram Ka Naam Badnaam Na Karo (movie Hare Rama Hare Krishna 1971). But his speech was cut short by K C Venugopal (who I understand is known in the Congress party as Kerala Chanakya), political guru of Rahul Gandhi.
The government has done a commendable job with the passing of the VB-G RAM G Act till it is proven that the program has not been impressive.
The Parliamentary session was adjourned sine die after passing the VB-G RAM G Act, Civil Nuclear Bill that throws open the door to the private sector in nuclear energy generation projects, and the revised Labor Codes simplifying the procedures for entrepreneurs setting up shops in the country.
But the Congress has decided to bring the country to a grinding halt by staging agitations against the above mentioned Acts and Bills. Till then…
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2. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.
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