Senior Congress leader and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra led a protest in Parliament against the Centre’s move to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the proposed Viksit Bharat Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025, popularly referred to as the G Ram G Bill.
Priyanka Gandhi said, ‘We don't understand the government's obsession with renaming every scheme. Whenever this is done, the center has to spend money. This bill should not be passed without discussion and consultation with the House’. She added, ‘This bill should be withdrawn, and instead, a new bill should be passed. For thorough scrutiny and extensive discussion, this bill should be referred to the Parliament's Standing Committee’.
Wayanad MP alleged that it weakens a landmark welfare law that has supported rural livelihoods for two decades. She pointed out that while MGNREGA was funded largely by the Centre, the new framework would reduce central funding to about 60 per cent for most states, increasing the financial burden on state governments, particularly those awaiting pending GST dues. Vadra also said the bill expands the Centre’s control while reducing its responsibilities, and criticised the proposal for raising the number of guaranteed workdays from 100 to 125 without addressing wages.
Several opposition leaders echoed these concerns. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor opposed the Bill, calling it immoral to remove Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the scheme. Other members raised issues over normative funding and the reduced central contribution.
With repeated disruptions and sloganeering by Opposition MPs over the MGNREGA repeal and renaming of schemes, proceedings remained tense through the day.
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