MGNREGA renaming: Why remove Gandhi's name, asks SP's Ram Gopal Yadav

New Delhi, Dec 17 (IANS) Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Ram Gopal Yadav, on Wednesday, strongly criticised the government’s decision to rename the MGNREGA as the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) or VB-G RAM G, calling it unnecessary and disrespectful to Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy.

“The truth is, the bill they are introducing already existed, so why was there a need to remove Mahatma Gandhi’s name and replace it? Even when Gandhi was shot, his last words were ‘hey Ram’; he was not anti-Ram. Gandhi was more religiously inclined than most… No one in this country has contributed more profoundly in this way, and perhaps no one will in the future,” Yadav said.

Meanwhile, BJP MP Rajkumar Chahar, praising the step, said, "There were schemes like the Jawahar Rozgar Yojana and, later, MGNREGA. Even Mahatma Gandhi used to say ‘Ram Ram’ and recite ‘Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram.’ Therefore, the Congress’ constant rhetoric is unethical. Reforms have been made in MGNREGA to improve its functioning..."

The bill, introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday by Union Minister for Rural Development and Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, seeks to restructure and rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), establishing a fresh rural development framework under the banner of “Viksit Bharat @2047”.

It will provide 125 days of guaranteed wage employment per year to rural households whose adult members voluntarily undertake unskilled manual labour, an increase from the current 100-day provision under MGNREGA.

The government argues that renaming and updating employment schemes is a continuation of policy evolution, pointing to transitions from the Jawahar Rozgar Yojana to NREGA and later MGNREGA. Sources indicate that the VB-G RAM G Bill requires fresh legal provisions and budgetary allocations, with a planned outlay of Rs 7.50 lakh crore over the next five years. Rural workers will need to re-register under the new scheme to avail benefits.

The bill has sparked strong opposition reactions, with leaders such as Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accusing the government of attempting to dilute the legacy and intent of MGNREGA.

Government sources counter that nearly 40 lakh families have already received 100 days of work under the current scheme, highlighting the ongoing commitment to rural employment.