Congress waging misinformation campaign against MGNREGA repealing law: Rajasthan CM

Jaipur, Jan 7 (PTI) Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma on Wednesday accused the Congress of running a "misinformation campaign" against the Centre's new rural employment law, saying it was a historic reform to secure livelihoods in villages.

Addressing a press conference here, Sharma said the Viksit Bharat Rozgar evam Aajeevika Mission (Gramin) Guarantee Act, 2025 (VB-G RAM G Act) would ensure sustainable rural employment and significantly benefit Rajasthan.

"The Congress has only misleading propaganda. It failed to deliver and indulged in corruption. Now it is trying to create confusion over a historic reform," he said.

Sharma said the new law would align rural employment policy with the roadmap of a developed India.

"MGNREGA failed to achieve its objectives during the Congress rule due to weak administration and corruption," he said, adding, public money was misused, and most works were not linked to long-term village development.

Sharma claimed that temporary roads, incomplete water structures and unplanned works were common under MGNREGA. Issues like fake job cards, bogus beneficiaries and irregular wage payments went unchecked, he added.

He said the new Act addresses these flaws and increases annual legal guarantee of employment from 100 days to 125 days.

Sharma said states have been given the flexibility to declare a 60-day work pause during peak farming seasons to help small farmers who also work as labourers.

Under the new law, he said, weekly wage payments have been made mandatory, and workers would get automatic compensation if payments are delayed beyond two weeks.

The administrative expense cap has been raised to nine per cent to ensure better staffing, training and monitoring, Sharma said.

The chief minister termed the new law a model of cooperative federalism, with states' share capped to 40 per cent, improving accountability. PTI AG VN VN