By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Jan 11: The Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) on Saturday criticised the state government for remaining silent on the potential adverse impact of the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) [VB-G RAM G] Act, 2025, which has replaced the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
Addressing the media, MPCC chief organiser Seval Dal Banphira Basaiawmoit warned that the new legislation could pose serious challenges to the rural economy, as it centralises control and significantly reduces the role of states in implementation.
He said the state government’s reluctance to speak out could be either due to a lack of understanding of the consequences of the new law or indifference driven by electoral considerations.
“Many elected representatives are more concerned with winning elections every five years than with protecting the livelihoods of rural people,” Basaiawmoit alleged.
Calling the situation unfortunate, he said the government, entrusted with safeguarding rural development and livelihoods, has failed to clarify its position on a law that effectively replaces MGNREGA.
This scheme played a vital role in strengthening the economic condition of rural households.
Basaiawmoit noted that the 100-day employment guarantee under MGNREGA helped curb distress migration by allowing people to find work within their own villages. He added that while MGNREGA was a demand-driven programme, the new system is supply-driven, with funding and work allocation decided entirely by the Centre in New Delhi.
He further observed that economic security enables people to make independent choices.
“When people have stable incomes, they are less likely to be misled by politicians. But when livelihoods are weak, they are forced to approach MLAs and political leaders for assistance. This is how votes end up being bought,” he said.
Meanwhile, MPCC Social Media Department chairman Langkupar War described the Centre’s decision to replace MGNREGA with the VB-G RAM G Act as an attack on women’s dignity and economic independence.
War said MGNREGA had empowered women by providing financial security and employment opportunities, with women accounting for nearly 60% of the scheme’s beneficiaries.
He accused the Centre of systematically underfunding MGNREGA over the years.
Citing figures, he said that in 2021-22, only Rs 73,000 crore was allocated against a requirement of Rs 98,000 crore, while in 2023-24, Rs 60,000 crore was allocated despite the requirement exceeding Rs 1 lakh crore.
He further pointed out that the new Act removes the legal guarantee of employment by shifting from a demand-driven to a supply-driven framework.
War identified four major changes: making the scheme conditional on Central notification, imposing fixed budget ceilings, increasing the financial burden on states, and introducing greater technological controls that could exclude vulnerable workers.
He warned that these changes would disproportionately affect rural areas, particularly in states like Meghalaya, resulting in fewer workdays, delayed wage payments and increased economic vulnerability among rural households.
