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Karnataka Rural Workers Rally Against Proposed VB‑G‑RAM G Overhaul of MGNREGA

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Mass Protest Marks MGNREGA’s 20th Anniversary Over 10,000 rural workers assembled at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on 2 February, forming a state‑level Mahapanchayat to denounce the Viksit Bharat‑Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) framework; the demonstration coincided with the programme’s 20‑year milestone and drew participants from across Karnataka [1]. Protesters demanded that the existing rights‑based, demand‑driven model be preserved, arguing that any dilution would jeopardise livelihoods built over two decades [1]. The gathering featured speeches from Dalit and women representatives who highlighted the scheme’s role in improving wages and social status [1].

Proposed Framework Would Replace Demand‑Driven Guarantees Under the current MGNREGA law, households can request work and receive it within 15 days or be paid compensation, a guarantee that has anchored rural income security [1]. The VB‑G‑RAM G proposal would require identification, approval, and funding of specific projects before work can be assigned, effectively removing the immediate guarantee and prompting potential migration [1]. Critics argue this shift undermines the programme’s core principle of providing a safety net during lean periods [1].

Restrictions Target Peak Agricultural Seasons The draft VB‑G‑RAM G Act would prohibit employment for 60 days during sowing and harvesting, cutting off income precisely when farm households are most vulnerable [1]. While the government advertises up to 125 days of work per year, data show that even with the statutory 100‑day guarantee, the average household receives only about 45 days due to funding shortfalls [1]. Workers contend that the seasonal ban would exacerbate financial stress and increase rural‑urban migration [1].

Digitisation and Central Funding Raise Implementation Concerns Excessive digitisation of job cards has already led to wage denial for completed work and the deletion of many cards, eroding trust in the system [1]. The new law would shift fund release to the Centre on a 60:40 Centre‑State ratio, centralising control and risking political favouritism that could disadvantage poorer states [1]. Observers warn that this move would transform the programme from a demand‑driven to a command‑driven model, weakening its effectiveness as a poverty‑alleviation tool [1].

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Timeline

Dec 15, 2025 – The Union government circulates the Viksit Bharat‑Guarantee For Rozgar And Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, proposing to replace MGNREGA, raise the guaranteed workdays from 100 to 125 per year, and shift funding to a 60 % Centre‑40 % State split, with the Centre fixing state‑wise normative allocations and pausing work during peak sowing/harvesting seasons [30].

Dec 16, 2025 – The VB‑G RAM G Bill is formally introduced in Parliament; opposition parties march to Mahatma Gandhi’s statue, demand referral to a parliamentary committee, and accuse the government of weakening the demand‑driven, rights‑based structure of MGNREGA [28].

Dec 17, 2025 – The bill is tabled in the Lok Sabha; an editorial warns that the reform “centralises decision‑making in the Union government” and that the 60:40 funding pattern will burden poorer states while capping allocations [27].

Dec 18, 2025 – Both houses pass the VB‑G RAM G Bill by voice vote after an eight‑hour marathon debate; opposition MPs stage a dharna, tear copies of the bill, and demand a committee referral, while Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan argues the new law will shift focus to permanent rural assets [25][23].

Dec 19, 2025 – Delhi Police deny a permit for a NREGA protest at Jantar Mantar; left parties call for an all‑India protest and Jean Drèze labels the legislation a “bulldozer Bill” that replaces MGNREGA without debate [21].

Dec 19, 2025 – Telangana senior leader Harish Rao (BRS) condemns the removal of Gandhi’s name and the 60:40 cost‑share, calling it “a direct attack on states’ rights” and urging discussion in the National Development Council [22].

Dec 20, 2025 – West Bengal renames its Karmashree scheme to Mahatma‑Shree in protest against the Centre’s overhaul of MGNREGA, citing the suspension of state funds since 2022 and recent court orders to resume the 100‑day work programme [20].

Dec 21, 2025 – President Droupadi Murmu assents to the VB‑G RAM G Act, confirming a 125‑day guarantee, a 60:40 Centre‑State funding model, and four focus areas (water security, core rural infrastructure, livelihood assets, extreme‑weather mitigation) [18]; the same day Sonia Gandhi publishes an op‑ed accusing the Modi government of “bulldozing” MGNREGA and eroding constitutional rights [16]; Congress stages nationwide protests, with K.C. Venugopal warning that the bill “erodes the right‑to‑work” and announcing Foundation‑Day actions on Dec 28 [19].

Dec 22, 2025 – The BJP’s Amit Malviya rebuts Gandhi’s criticism, calling the reform “overdue repair” and asserting that the 125‑day guarantee and 60:40 funding “strengthen” rural employment [15]; meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee denounces the renaming as a sign of national decline [13]; the new G RAM G law raises the rural job guarantee to 125 days, shifts funding to a 60:40 split, and draws criticism that it centralises control and converts a legal right into a discretionary program [1].

Dec 23, 2025 – The President’s assent is framed as a renewal rather than demolition: the Act retains gram‑panchayat planning, mandates social audits, and keeps a differentiated 90:10 Centre‑State split for Himalayan and Northeastern states while maintaining the 60:40 model elsewhere [12].

Dec 25, 2025 – Veteran Congress leader P. Chidambaram calls the VB‑G RAM G Bill “the second killing of Mahatma Gandhi,” vows protest until withdrawal, and criticises the bill’s Hindi‑in‑English nomenclature as unreadable [17].

Dec 27, 2025 – The Congress Working Committee schedules a meeting on Dec 27 to devise strategy against the VB‑G RAM G Act and to coordinate upcoming agitations across Assam, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala and West Bengal [26]; the party also launches a nationwide MGNREGA Bachao Sangram campaign running Jan 10–Feb 25 to demand restoration of the original rights‑based scheme [5].

Dec 28, 2025 – Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar attacks the AAP‑led state government for using a one‑day special assembly session (Dec 30) as propaganda to push the VB‑G RAM G scheme, accusing it of masking “deteriorating law‑and‑order” and failing to address real governance failures [7].

Jan 1, 2026 – Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge urges a mass movement to protect the right to work, the right to vote and dignity for the vulnerable, framing the struggle as a defence of constitutional values [6].

Jan 3, 2026 – Congress announces the MGNREGA Bachao Sangram (Jan 10–Feb 25), outlining district‑level events, a 45‑day agitation, and plans to challenge the VB‑G RAM G Act in court while consulting the INDIA bloc [5].

Jan 5, 2026 – The Congress Working Committee launches the MGNREGA Bachao Andolan, with Rahul Gandhi likening the VB‑G RAM G Bill to “demonetisation” and a “one‑man show” by the PMO, while Mallikarjun Kharge stresses that MGNREGA is a constitutional right to work [9].

Jan 10, 2026 – Congress begins a 45‑day nationwide agitation (Jan 10–Feb 25) demanding withdrawal of the VB‑G RAM G Act and restoration of MGNREGA; district press conferences, a day‑long fast on Jan 11, mass‑contact programmes (Jan 12–29), ward‑level sit‑ins (Jan 30), gheraos (Feb 7–15), and four major rallies (Feb 16–25) are scheduled [4].

Jan 11, 2026 – Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, BJP state president B.Y. Vijayendra and JD(S) leaders accuse Congress of misinformation, claim the VB‑G RAM G scheme “strengthens gram panchayats and social audits,” and welcome Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s two‑day special session to debate the law [3].

Feb 2, 2026 – Over 10,000 Karnataka rural workers gather at Freedom Park for a Mahapanchayat marking the 20th anniversary of MGNREGA, protesting the proposed VB‑G RAM G framework that would make work contingent on project approval, bar employment for 60 days during sowing/harvesting, and shift fund release to the Centre, thereby threatening the demand‑driven rights‑based model [2].

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