Non-NDA parties oppose VB-G RAM G Bill, criticise govt for dropping Mahatma Gandhi's name

New Delhi, Dec 18 (PTI) Members of several non-NDA parties on Thursday opposed the VB-G RAM G Bill that seeks to replace the 20-year-old MGNREG Act, alleging that the ruling dispensation is trying to end Mahatma Gandhi's legacy by removing his name and shutting the rural employment guarantee scheme.

The government introduced the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill in the Rajya Sabha hours after it was passed in the Lok Sabha during the pre-lunch period.

As Opposition members protested the proposed legislation and demanded that it be sent to the parliamentary committee for further scrutiny, they said the name of Mahatma Gandhi should be retained.

Leaders of various parties, including the Congress, Trinamool Congress, DMK, CPI-M, CPI, RJD, AAP, JMM, IUML, Samajwadi Party and NCP-SP, opposed the renaming of MGNREGA, even as AIADMK demanded that the name of Mahatma Gandhi be retained in the new bill.

Soon after the Nuclear bill was passed, Deputy Chairman Harivansh called Minister of Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan to introduce the bill, triggering uproar from the Opposition.

Tiruchi Siva of DMK and Congress leader Digvijay Singh sought more time for the Opposition to file amendments.

"The bill was put on the portal at 5 pm, and we were supposed to give our amendment by 5:45 pm," Singh said.

Sanjay Singh of AAP said the government is trying to bulldoze the Opposition, as it has done while passing the three black farm laws.

On this, Harivash said the Chairman of the House has already passed a detailed ruling in this regard, and that is final, and called Congress Member Mukul Vasnik to discuss the bill.

Initiating the debate, Wasnik said this bill will not only have far-reaching consequences but also affect millions of people in India, who are poor and needy. There was no discussion with the experts, and the demand to send this bill to the Standing Committee was rejected.

"This bill is not for the benefit of the people. This has been brought as a political weapon," he said.

MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) has a provision of 90:10 cost-sharing between the centre and state governments, and this G RAM G Bill is altering it to 60:40.

Wasnik questioned whether the government has consulted with the state governments and taken their confidence before deciding this, as it will be a burden on them and worsen their financial situation, and if yes, then to name them and share their responses.

Now, the Centre will fix the money, which will be paid to the state government. If the state government wants to spend more, then it would have to bear the burden.

In the peak season of agriculture, the state governments will have to notify a 60-day "blackout period" in which the needy people, including women, will not get any work.

"What is the intention behind this? Don't you have any concern about the problems of the people there?" he said, adding that the bill has suggested getting attendance through a biometric arrangement.

Pointing towards Chouhan, who was present in the house, Wasnik said he is a senior politician, a responsible person and has been Chief Minister for many years.

When the country faced the COVID-19 pandemic, there were only two schemes - the National Food Security Act and MANREGA, which worked to give people relief.

"You are changing the name of MANREGA. You are trying to erase Mahatma Gandhi's name from this scheme and make another scheme," he said, adding that the government is having trouble with Mahatma Gandhi's name.

"This is not happening for the first time. Earlier, a security scheme with the name of Mahatma Gandhi was framed for the immigrants in 2012, was changed in 2017 and included in the Atal Pension Scheme.

"If a scheme is made in the name of Atal ji, we have no problems," Wasnik said, adding he was the former Prime Minister of India. "But you remove the name of Gandhi ji. In front of the old Parliament, Gandhi ji's statue was on the main door." The government may remove the names of Nehru, Sardar Patel, Maulana Azad, and Ambedkar, who laid the foundation of democracy, but they can never be forgotten.

BJP's Indubala Goswami said the Congress party itself had changed the name of this scheme several times during its tenure and had renamed it MNREGA for its own benefit.

The BJP member said that emphasis has been placed on eliminating corruption by enacting new laws.

She said that with mobile phones and GPS, people will now get information directly, and transparency will be ensured.

The new law guarantees 125 days of work instead of 100 days, she added.

Manoj Jha of RJD demanded that the bill be withdrawn and said that the MNREGA law had come into existence after struggles in several states.

He said that at one time, the slogan was "work for every hand and fair wages for every job".

He criticised the name of the bill, saying that it was a rhyming combination of English and Hindi words, but it looked absurd.

He said that this government is playing politics in the name of Ram.

Ritabrata Banerjee AITC demanded that the bill be sent to the Standing Committee for scrutiny.

R Girirajan DMK said the bill brought by this government to replace MGNREGA is without any prior consultation with political parties.

Sanjay Singh of AAP said the government has named this bill G RAM G) Bill and asked, " How many sins will you hide by taking God's Ram's name?.

Putting his party's views on the bill, Subhasish Khuntia of BJD demanded that the proposed legislation should be sent to a select committee for scrutiny.

While supporting the bill, M Thambidurai of AIADMK made a strong case for retaining the name of the rural job guarantee scheme.

"While the AIADMK welcomes this bill, I wish to place on record ...the old name is appropriate...the name must be maintained, not the new name," he said.

Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya (CPI-M) said the Prime Minister and his supporters are fighting with the shadow of Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Nehru.

Ramji Lal Suman (SP) accused the BJP, saying the ruling party has nothing to do with Gandhi's ideology.

He said the BJP wants to end the legacy of Gandhi.

Chowdry Mohammad Ramzan (J&KNC) said the bill has been brought to Parliament after consulting the states. PTI KRH NKD SKC NKD BAL BAL