Chennai, Dec 20 (IANS) Tamil Nadu’s ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the BJP-led Union government over the newly passed Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, or VB-G RAM G, accusing the Centre of diluting the fundamental spirit of rural employment guarantees and undermining federal principles.
The DMK’s criticism, articulated through an editorial in its mouthpiece ‘Murasoli’, argued that the controversy over removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the scheme was only a minor aspect of a deeper problem.
The party asserted that the Bill compromises the very objective of providing assured rural employment and opens the door to suspending or stalling the programme altogether at the Centre’s discretion.
According to the editorial, assurances of 125 days of employment are hollow, as legal provisions enable the government to halt or limit the scheme with ease.
The DMK claimed the Centre-State cost-sharing ratio of 60:40 amounted to forcing states to shoulder an excessive financial burden for a Union-mandated scheme.
The party also pointed to clauses that prevent job generation during peak agricultural seasons, arguing that such a restriction harms thousands of rural workers who are not engaged in farming.
Another major concern flagged was the decision to use the Centre’s Multidimensional Poverty Index to determine beneficiaries.
This, the DMK contended, threatens to deprive states like Tamil Nadu — which have made significant strides in reducing poverty — of rightful access to rural jobs by declaring poverty “eliminated” based on selective data.
The editorial further contended that whereas the MGNREGA legally guaranteed the right to work, the new Bill offers employment only if available, marking a shift away from a rights-based approach.
Provisions that allow the Centre to determine job quotas for each state were termed an attack on federal autonomy and a mechanism that could be used to disadvantage non-BJP-ruled states.
The DMK also criticised AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami for focusing solely on restoring Mahatma Gandhi’s name while remaining silent on broader policy changes.
Questioning his political consistency, the ‘Murasoli’ editorial accused Palaniswami of misleading the public in the past on issues such as the Citizenship Amendment Act and the now-repealed farm laws.
The Parliament passed the VB-G RAM G Bill earlier this week, replacing the 20-year-old MGNREGA framework. While the Centre claims the new law expands opportunities, the DMK insists it threatens to dilute rural employment guarantees and erode state authority.
–IANS
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