Cong to protest against VB-G RAM G Bill, says Cong's Shukla; calls it 'black law'

Ahmedabad, Dec 19 (PTI) Congress leader Rajeev Shukla on Friday said his party will hold protests across the country on the VB-G RAM G Bill as it was against the interest of the poor and would destroy the rural economy.

The Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, which seeks to replace the 20-year-old MGNREGA, was passed amid protest by the Rajya Sabha on Thursday with a voice vote, hours after the Lok Sabha cleared it.

Addressing a press conference here, Rajya Sabha member Shukla labelled the VB-G RAM G Bill as a 'black law' and compared it with the three farm laws that were eventually withdrawn by the Narendra Modi government in 2021 after protests.

The Bill was neither discussed with any state government nor any standing committee of the Parliament before it was tabled for discussion a few days ago, he said.

"They have removed Mahatma Gandhi's name from the Bill, as if they are having any enmity with him. The Bill has several provisions which are against the interests of poor people living in villages. Though the Opposition had urged the government to withdraw the Bill or send it to a select committee, the Modi government somehow managed to pass it in Parliament," Shukla said.

"Our leaders have already announced that just like the party had compelled the Modi government to withdraw three farm laws in 2021, party cadres will hit the roads and stage protests across the country demanding withdrawal of this new law, which is anti-Dalit, anti-poor and anti-rural," the Congress leader said.

He claimed the remuneration rural workers are getting at present will gradually stop once the Act comes into force.

In the past, the Centre used to allot Rs 1.11 lakh crore for MGNREGA scheme, which has come down to Rs 80,000 crore under the Modi government, Shukla said.

"For every Rs 100 paid to a worker, the Centre used to given Rs 90 while the share of states was Rs 10 under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. Now, under this new law, states are supposed to shell out Rs 40 instead of Rs 10. How would they pay such a high remuneration when almost all the states are already under financial strain," he questioned.

"Another change they made is about the allocation of work. Now, the Centre, not the panchayat, will decide the work to be allotted. This means that workers will never get enough work. Eventually, they will get only 50 to 55 days of guaranteed work and that too with less remuneration," he said.

This will impact the entire rural economy and destroy a key source of income, he added.

"We firmly believe that just like the Modi government withdrew the three farm laws, this 'black law' must be withdrawn in the interest of the poor," Shukla said.

Speaking about the National Herald case, Shukla said the court "threw away" Enforcement Directorate's complaint because there was no substance in its allegations.

In a relief to Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and five others, a Delhi court on Tuesday refused to take cognisance of the ED's money laundering charge against them in the National Herald case, holding that the agency's probe stemmed from a private complaint and not an FIR.

"This court order is a tight slap on the Centre's BJP government as the ruling fold always wanted to malign Gandhi family's image. Now it's proven that misinformation was deliberately spread against the Gandhi family. The BJP now stands exposed and it has been proved that there was no scam," said Shukla. PTI PJT PD BNM