Scrap VB-G RAM G act, bring back MGNREGA: CM

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said his government demands the Centre to scrap the new VB-G RAM G act and bring back the UPA-era MGNREGA that “gave right to jobs to poor, vulnerable, women and small farmers”.

He alleged that the new legislation took away the right to livelihood, the powers of panchayats, and put an additional burden on the finances of states. “The NDA government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has passed a legislation called VB-G RAM G Act, which repealed MGNREGA that gave poor and vulnerable sections of the society, women and small farmers the right to demand work at their place (village). Now in the new VB-G RAM G Act, the government will notify in which Gram Panchayat the work should be taken,” Siddaramaiah said.Speaking to reporters here, he said both the Congress party and the state government will take up the issue simultaneously and asserted, “We will have an action plan immediately in this regard”.”The Congress along with the public, labourers and all like-minded will fight until the VB-G RAM G Act is withdrawn, like it was done in case of farm laws,” he added.

On the impact of the new legislation, Siddaramaiah said, “The Modi government has done three things with the VB-G RAM G Act. It has taken away the right to livelihood of the vulnerable sections of the society, particularly women, poor and small farmers. It has taken away the powers of Panchayat, and it has also added additional financial burden to the states without any consultation.”

“They have not consulted the people either. In a way they have shown a dictatorial behaviour” he said, adding that the demand based scheme has now been made a supply based one, in terms of providing jobs.

The CM said the state government urges the Centre to scrap the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act, and bring back the UPA-era MGNREGA.

“We also urge to restore people’s right to work, and restore the rights of panchayats to self-govern,” he said. Siddaramaiah claimed that the Modi government by repealing Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act has systematically weakened village-level governance and damaged the rural economy. The new law was introduced in Parliament on December 17 and passed the very next day, without adequate discussion, he said, pointing out that across the country, around 12.16 crore workers depend on MGNREGA, of whom 6.21 crore are women. About 17 per cent belong to Scheduled Castes and 11 percent to Scheduled Tribes.