Congress Accuses Modi Government of Ending Right to Work After MGNREGA Replacement

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday accused the Modi government of dismantling the right to work by replacing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G), enacted in December 2025. He alleged the move was a deliberate effort to erase the rights of poor and rural workers.

Kharge cited data showing a drop of 44 lakh families and 67 lakh labourers receiving employment under MGNREGA in 2025-26, along with a 40.5% decline in families receiving 100 days of work and a 21.5% fall in person days. He claimed each MGNREGA family faced an average income loss of ₹1,221, and accused the central government of withholding dues to states while imposing a 40% cost-share under the new scheme.

The Congress chief alleged the BJP-led government had systematically undermined rural employment rights, calling the new framework inadequate and poorly implemented. He claimed VB-G RAM G had not yet been rolled out, leaving labourers without work or income support.

The Modi government has not issued an official response to Kharge's remarks. The debate over the replacement of MGNREGA with VB-G RAM G is expected to intensify in Parliament and state assemblies as implementation details emerge.