The Vikas Bharat Mission Guaranteed Employment and Livelihoods (Rural) (VB-G Ram Ji) Bill, 2025, which seeks to replace the existing rural employment law MNREGA, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. During this, the opposition expressed strong opposition to the “removal” of Mahatma Gandhi’s name from it.
While presenting the bill, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan said that the government not only has faith in Mahatma Gandhi but also follows his principles. “The (Narendra) Modi government has done more for rural development than previous governments,” he said.
Opposition members strongly opposed the bill at its initial stage and demanded that it be sent to a parliamentary committee for thorough scrutiny. Congress MPs including Priyanka Gandhi expressed strong objection to the removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s name.
Opposition members also came to the well of the House and waved photographs of Mahatma Gandhi to express their disagreement with the “removal” of the name of the Father of the Nation.
According to a copy of the bill, it will provide a statutory guarantee of 125 days of salaried employment in a financial year to every rural household whose adult members come forward voluntarily to do unskilled manual labour.
Within six months from the date of coming into force of the VB-G RAM G Act, the States will have to formulate a scheme in line with the provisions of the new law.
The Rural Development Ministry said in a statement that the proposed law will establish a modern legislative framework in line with the goal of ‘Developed India 2047’.
It said the bill aims to create both employment and sustainable rural infrastructure through four priority areas – water security through water-related works, core rural infrastructure, livelihood-related infrastructure and special actions to mitigate extreme weather events.
The statement said all assets created are integrated into the Develop India National Rural Infrastructure Stack, thereby ensuring an integrated, coordinated national development strategy.
The ministry has described it as a “major upgrade” of MGNREGA, enhancing employment, transparency, planning and accountability while addressing structural weaknesses.
