MGNREGA to be known as 'Vyay Bhimji Ramji'

New Delhi: The Modi government at the center is going to change the name of 'MNREGA' i.e. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act to 'VB-Gram Ji'. A draft of this bill was distributed among the members of the Lok Sabha on Monday (December 15) during the current session of Parliament. If this bill is passed, the new law will replace the existing law. News agency 'PTI' has quoted sources as saying that the government has decided to discontinue the country's major employment scheme 'MNREGA' and replace it with a new rural employment law.

According to the draft of the bill, the purpose of this bill is to introduce the 'Viksit Bharat-Rozgar aur Ajeevika Guarantee Mission (Gramin) Bill 2025', i.e. 'VB-Gram Ji Bill 2025', in the current parliamentary session to repeal the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MNREGA). The new bill states that its purpose is to create a new framework for rural development in line with the national vision of 'Developed India 2047'. Under this, the existing number of working days will be increased from 100 to 125 days.

According to the objectives of the new law mentioned in the bill, MNREGA has provided employment to rural families over the past 20 years. However, considering the socio-economic changes taking place in the villages, it is necessary to strengthen it further. It is claimed that under the new law, every rural family that is willing to do unskilled work will get employment for 125 days every year, and its purpose is to ensure the overall development of the village in line with the goal of 'Developed India 2047'. It is clear that the winter session of Parliament, which started on December 1, will end on December 19.

On the other hand, the opposition has said that while preparing to bring a new law in place of MNREGA, why is Mahatma Gandhi's name being removed from this scheme? The opposition has also alleged that the government's move is equivalent to insulting Mahatma Gandhi.

The purpose of the new law is to promote rural empowerment and overall development through employment and livelihood guarantees, so that a prosperous and capable rural India can be built. This bill has been given to the members of the Lok Sabha and it is expected to be introduced in the House soon. The winter session of Parliament, which started on December 1, will end on December 19.

It is clear that MNREGA was launched by the Ministry of Rural Development in 2005. It is one of the largest employment guarantee programs in the world. As of 2022-23, 15.4 crore active workers were registered under it. The objective of this scheme is to address the root causes of poverty through a rights-based framework. Under MNREGA, it is mandated that at least one-third of the beneficiaries should be women. This has promoted the empowerment of women in rural areas.

The most important feature of MNREGA has been that any rural adult has a legal guarantee of getting employment within 15 days of demanding work. If this does not happen, there is also a commitment to provide unemployment allowance. MNREGA played a central role in planning and implementing works. Gram Sabhas were given the power to propose works, and at least 50 percent of the works were made mandatory at the local level, which strengthened decentralization.

On the other hand, reacting to the new law brought in place of MNREGA, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi has questioned the government's move. She asked, "Why are they removing Mahatma Gandhi's name? Mahatma Gandhi was one of the greatest leaders in the country, the world, and history. I don't understand why this is being done?"