Congress Demands Repeal of VB-G RAM G Act

The Indian National Congress demanded the repeal of the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act, which the Government of India implemented on July 1 to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh characterized the legislative change as a "calculated conspiracy" to remove employment guarantees for the poor to benefit "crony capitalists." To support these claims, Ramesh cited data from the Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh, where only 10,669 days of employment were provided against a target of 1.76 lakh man-days over a two-month period.

The party is calling for the restoration of a strengthened MGNREGA and an increase in minimum wages. They specifically requested that wages be based on 2019 expert committee recommendations and adjusted for current inflation.