'No reverse gear once law is before nation': Kiren Rijiju rules out rollback of VB-G RAM G

Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju (File photo)

• Gov't rejects opposition's call to reopen or roll back VB-G RAM G rural jobs law.
• VB-G RAM G replaces MNREGA, increases workdays but shifts funding to states
• Opposition protests new scheme, citing strain on state finances and reduced work

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The government has rejected opposition demands to reopen debate or roll back the VB-G RAM G Act, the rural employment guarantee law that replaced the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA).

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Tuesday that once Parliament has passed a law, there can be no question of reversing course.

“Once a law is before the nation, we have to follow it. We cannot reverse the gear and go back,” Rijiju said after an all-party meeting held on the eve of the Budget Session of Parliament.

Opposition parties have intensified protests against the new scheme in recent weeks and are preparing to corner the government during the Budget Session, which begins Wednesday.

Several parties wanted a dedicated discussion on the VB-G RAM G Act as well as on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Rijiju said these matters had already been debated in the previous session. “Both Houses of Parliament had extensive discussions on electoral reforms in the last session, where this issue was also raised by the opposition. This is uncalled for if another debate is demanded,” he said.

Opposition leaders, including Jairam Ramesh of the Congress and John Brittas of the CPI(M), also objected to the non-circulation of the legislative agenda for the session.

Rijiju responded that this is customary at the start of the year. “This is the first session of the year. Normally, the list of government business is shared after the President's address. However, I am prepared to share the list; I have told officers to do it,” he said.

Calling for orderly proceedings, Rijiju added, “My sincere appeal on behalf of the government to all honourable members is that in our Parliamentary democracy, we have been elected to represent the people and to speak for the people. While exercising our right to speak, we must also have the duty to listen to the members of other political parties.”

The VB-G RAM G law was passed during the Winter Session amid sharp protests from opposition MPs, who criticised both its provisions and the renaming of the scheme, which invokes the name of Lord Ram instead of Mahatma Gandhi.

Despite mounting political pressure, the Centre has made it clear that the law is final. As Rijiju said, “Once a law is before the nation, we have to follow it.”

Why VB-G RAM G scheme is contentious

The government has defended the new programme as an overhaul of what it describes as an “inefficient and riddled with corruption” MNREGA, while highlighting that the minimum guaranteed workdays have been increased from 100 to 125.

However, the law introduces changes in funding, allocation, and oversight that have become flashpoints.

Under MNREGA, the Centre paid around 90 per cent of total expenses. Under VB-G RAM G, states are required to contribute 40 per cent, while hill states and those in the northeast contribute 10 per cent.

Union territories will continue to receive full central funding. The government says this is meant to encourage states to take greater ownership of the scheme. The Opposition argues it will strain state finances and reduce the amount of work available.

Another key change is the shift to what the government calls a “normative” allocation of funds, rather than a demand-driven model.

The Centre will determine yearly allocations to states based on “objective parameters” and can suspend funds “where serious irregularities are detected, and direct corrective or remedial measures to address deficiencies”.

The scheme also divides permissible work into four categories -- water security, core rural infrastructure, livelihood-related assets, and climate resilience.

While work will still be offered at the panchayat or programme officer level, the Centre will set standards for designs, materials, and the types of projects eligible for payment.

Opposition-ruled states have taken a strong stand against the law. Telangana, Punjab, and Tamil Nadu have passed resolutions opposing VB-G RAM G, and Karnataka is expected to follow suit.

Tensions escalated in Karnataka last week when Governor Thawaarchand Gehlot declined to read portions of a state government speech critical of the new law during the opening joint session of the legislature. The Governor walked out after the state refused to delete the sections, prompting the BJP to demand action against Congress legislators for allegedly heckling and blocking him.