VB-G RAM G will only guarantee centralization, financial pressure on states: Congress

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh. | Photo credit: PTI

The Congress on Sunday (June 28, 2026) noted that several states have expressed concerns over the VB-G RAM G Act replacing MGNREGA, saying the new law will only guarantee centralization and further financial pressure on states.

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said the Modi government, “vindictive and petty” as always, pushed the repeal of MGNREGA through Parliament without proper consultation with the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development, state governments or other relevant stakeholders.

It now appears that several states have raised concerns about its VB-G RAM G replacement slated for launch from July 1, Mr. Ramesh told X.

BJP-ruled states like Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Uttarakhand have opposed the huge additional expenditure burden to be imposed on the states, he said.

Four other state governments opposed the program’s blackout period during the peak agricultural season, Mr. Ramesh said, adding that at least five states sought to increase the wages of rural workers.

The Modi government, vindictive and petty as ever, pushed the repeal of MGNREGA through Parliament without proper consultation with the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development, state governments or other relevant stakeholders. It now appears that several… pic.twitter.com/xk9EnyRcPp

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) June 28, 2026

“Rural Development Minister’s (Shivraj Singh Chouhan) home state, Madhya Pradesh, is expressing concern over the Modi government’s new pet project,” Mr. Ramesh said.

“MGNREGA guarantees the right to work derived from the constitution. VB-G RAM G will only guarantee centralization and further financial pressure on the states,” said Mr. Ramesh.

Congress argued that the only guarantee the law offered was “extreme centralization” and “weakening of the bargaining power of rural labor.”

The Center has announced that the Viksit Bharat – Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Guarantee Act will come into effect across the country from July 1, replacing the two-decade-old Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act.

The new law will have a new framework that promises rural households 125 days of statutory wages.

Published – 28 Jun 2026 11:45 IST