• Source:JND
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G-RAM G Row: Ahead of the budget session of the parliament, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju asserted that the centre will not roll back the VB G-RAM-G rural jobs guarantee scheme. Rijiju stated that the discussions during the budget session should revolve around the budget; however, he clarified that the government is open to listening to the suggestions. A massive political row erupted after the centre replaced the two-decade-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the VB G-RAM-G scheme. While the opposition leaders stated that the centre has insulted great freedom fighter Mahatma Gandhi by removing his name, the centre asserted that the scheme will benefit more people of the rural regions.

Row Over G-RAM-G Scheme

- Rijiju asserted that the scheme was passed after a thorough discussion, and the centre will not take it back. Earlier last month, Home Minister Amit Shah had also stated that the scheme will provide additional opportunities to the people of rural regions.

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- Congress senior leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday launched an attack on the centre by stating that the scheme was launched to weaken the power of panchayats. "MGNREGA is scrapped to push the country back to the era of kings and maharajas, where all power and wealth were concentrated in the hands of a few," Gandhi stated in a post on X.

- The major opposition parties also staged a massive protest in Karnataka, alleging that the centre has destroyed the ideas of Mahatma Gandhi. "They have lost the right to sit in front of Gandhiji’s statue. They have no morality. Now, it seems they will sit in Delhi and decide who should work where. They are trying to take away the rights of Panchayats and Panchayat members. If contractors are doing work anywhere, people should go there and do the work themselves," Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Sivakumar stated.

- Earlier on January 10, the Congress launched the 'MGNREGA Bachao Sangram', a 45-day nationwide campaign against the repeal of the MGNREGA.

- The other opposition parties, including Trinamool Congress (TMC), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Samajwadi Party (SP), and DMK, have also criticised their move of scrapping the MGNREGA.

- The centre, in its defense, has asserted that the scheme will provide more earning opportunities and working days per annum to the workers.

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- However, the opposition parties stated that the centre has tried to centralise the scheme as it will decide how much each state gets every year based on "objective parameters".

- While the MGNREGA offered 100 working days per annum, the VB G-RAM-G scheme offers an increased minimum number – 125; however, there are conditions, including notification of a 'rural area' by the centre.


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