Lok Sabha Passes VB-G RAM-G Bill Amid Opposition Protests; Government Invokes Gandhian Ideals

The legislation seeks to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with a revamped framework, guaranteeing 125 days of wage employment per year for rural households. The Opposition demanded greater scrutiny of the Bill, including its referral to a Joint Parliamentary Committee or the Standing Committee, but these calls were rejected.

The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025, amid sustained protests and sloganeering by Opposition members. The Bill was cleared by voice vote during a turbulent sitting, after which the House was adjourned till December 19.

The legislation seeks to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with a revamped framework, guaranteeing 125 days of wage employment per year for rural households. The Opposition demanded greater scrutiny of the Bill, including its referral to a Joint Parliamentary Committee or the Standing Committee, but these calls were rejected.

Defending the government’s move, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan strongly countered the Opposition’s criticism, particularly from the Congress. “The Congress party worked to kill Bapu’s ideals, while Narendra Modi ji worked to keep Bapu’s ideals alive,” he said amid repeated disruptions.

Invoking Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy, Chouhan argued that the Modi government’s welfare initiatives reflect Gandhian values in practice. “Bapu is alive today in the houses built under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, in Jal Jeevan Mission and Swachh Bharat Mission, in Ujjwala Yojana where smoke has been removed from ten crore kitchens, in Ayushman Bharat assuring treatment for 36 crore people, and in 1.5 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs providing affordable medicines,” he told the House.

He further cited schemes such as Direct Benefit Transfer, Jan Dhan Yojana, Mudra Yojana, Skill India, Atal Mission and the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana as examples of Gandhi’s ideals being carried forward. “Bapu is not just alive in pictures and posters, but in all our hearts. Bapu’s ideals are alive in this scheme,” Chouhan said, referring to the Bill’s 60:40 Centre–state funding pattern aimed at building a “new India”.

According to the minister, the Bill would play a key role in empowering the poor, accelerating growth and ensuring saturation of rural infrastructure. He concluded his address by reciting a poem by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, highlighting national unity and progress.

The Opposition, led by the Congress, accused the government of diluting the demand-driven nature of MGNREGA and described the removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the law as an “insult” to the Father of the Nation. Congress leader K.C. Venugopal reiterated the demand for parliamentary scrutiny of the Bill.

Protests continued throughout the debate, forcing brief adjournments earlier in the day. Following the passage of the Bill, Speaker Om Birla adjourned the Lok Sabha for the remainder of the day.

(With IANS inputs)