Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday criticised the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act. He described it as ‘Rozgar Adhikar chori’ and claimed it had replaced MGNREGA with a centralised programme that shifts major costs to state governments. Ramesh shared an analysis by former Jammu and Kashmir finance minister Haseeb Drabu, noting the new law ended a scheme that provided rural households a legal guarantee of work. The Act took effect nationwide on July 1, replacing the two-decade-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. Ramesh stated the measure removes a constitutional right to employment that strengthened local panchayats and instead imposes heavy financial pressure on states. He also said technology under the law is used to restrict access rather than improve delivery and that work is not available year-round. Drabu wrote that the earlier rights-based, demand-driven model has become a centrally fixed transfer system. Congress has called for repeal of the new law and restoration of an improved MGNREGA, arguing wages are too low and urging adoption of the 2019 expert panel recommendations on minimum pay adjusted for inflation.
