Karnataka Cabinet decides not to accept the VB-G RAM G Act, to challenge it in court: Minister Patil

Karnataka Minister MB Patil along with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, and Law Minister HK Patil.

• Karnataka cabinet rejects VB-G RAM G Act, plans legal challenge against it
• State says Act violates Article 21 and undermines Panchayat rights
• Cabinet to raise public awareness through Gram Sabhas on Act's adverse impact

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Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said that the state cabinet on Thursday decided not to accept the recently enacted VB-G RAM G Act, replacing the UPA-era rural employment initiative, MGNREGA, and to take up a legal battle against it.

The cabinet also decided to go to the ‘people’s court’ against ‘repealing’ of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and introducing Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act (VB-G RAM G Act) in its place, he added.

Briefing reporters about the cabinet decision, Patil said, "It is unanimously decided not to accept the (VB-G RAM G) Act and to challenge the same in the court of law".

A cabinet note on the subject said the VB-G RAM G is in violation of right to work and livelihood of the citizens as enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.

“The Act tramples upon the legitimate rights of Panchayats as vested by the constitution and is against the spirit of the 73rd and 74th amendments to the Constitution. The bottom-up planning approach, as per local requirements, has been compromised,” the note said.

The cabinet noted that the VB-G RAM G Act seriously affects the federal structure by not only completely excluding the States from the consultation process but also while expecting the States to bear 40 per cent of the amount, and that too as per the terms and conditions as unilaterally decided by the centre without taking states into confidence.

“The VB-G RAM G Act is a serious aberration of social and economic rights of rural people, as on one hand the works will only be available in the areas as notified by Central Government and on other hand at the wage rate fixed by centre without any guarantee to the minimum wages fixed by the State Governments,” the state cabinet maintained.

It also said that VB-G RAM G defeats the spirit of ‘Gram Swaraj’ (village self-rule) as envisioned by Mahatma Gandhi.

The Panchayats will neither have the freedom to choose the works as per local requirements nor the priority of works, while also being limited by the normative allocation to be decided by the Central Government, the Cabinet observed.

“Hence, the cabinet has decided to challenge the validity of the VB-G RAM G Act in court and also take this anti-people legislation to the People’s Court by making them aware of the adverse impact of the Act by holding special Gram Sabhas,” the state cabinet said.

The cabinet said the Advocate General of Karnataka, K Shashi Kiran Shetty, was also consulted on the constitutional and legal implications of the VB-G RAM G Act.