Chandigarh, December 30
Punjab Food, Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs, Forest & Wildlife Preservation Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak today termed the new Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM-G) Act, 2025, as a move that robs the rural poor and marginalized of vital employment opportunities.
Speaking in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha during a resolution moved by Cabinet Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond, Kataruchak said the Centre’s decision to replace MGNREGA with the VB-G RAM-G scheme is a “death blow” to rural livelihoods.
He said that while MGNREGA was fully funded by the Centre for unskilled labour and administrative costs, the new Act adopts a 60:40 Centre-State cost-sharing model, thus shifting a massive financial burden onto states already facing fiscal stress. The Minister added that such a shift undermines the federal spirit and endangers the welfare safety net for Punjab’s poorest rural households.
Highlighting key concerns, Kataruchak said the Act’s provision to suspend rural work for 60 days during the agricultural season would directly affect the incomes of Scheduled Castes, women, and landless families dependent on daily wage employment.
He further pointed out that by introducing centralized systems like the National Stack and mandatory biometric authentication, the Act sidelines Gram Panchayats and weakens the democratic role of the Gram Sabha in local development planning. Technical failures or lack of digital access, he warned, could further deprive poor workers of timely wages or work opportunities.
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