Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the BJP-led Central Government, alleging that changes made to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) had weakened employment opportunities for Dalits, poor people and rural labourers.
Addressing a press conference, Cheema said the latest figures vindicated the concerns raised by AAP when the Centre replaced MGNREGA with the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), or VB-G RAM G. The new law came into force on July 1, 2026, replacing MGNREGA and increasing the statutory employment guarantee from 100 to 125 days.
Cheema alleged that the BJP had repeatedly claimed that only the name of the rural employment scheme had been changed, while its core provisions remained intact. He said the latest employment data indicated a significant decline in person-days generated after the transition.
“BJP had repeatedly claimed that only the name of the scheme had been changed and that everything else remained the same. However, several components within the scheme that generated employment had been altered. The reality is now before the people,” Cheema said.
Citing figures for July and August, Cheema said around 9.56 crore fewer person-days of employment were generated compared with the corresponding period last year. According to figures reported from Rural Development Ministry data, around 29.77 crore person-days were generated under MGNREGA during July-August 2025, compared with about 20.21 crore under VB-G RAM G during the corresponding period in 2026.
Cheema said the decline was particularly concerning for Dalits and other marginalised communities, who depend heavily on rural employment programmes for livelihood support. He alleged that the Centre's changes had adversely affected the poorest sections of society.
“BJP government is snatching employment from Dalits and labourers. This exposes its anti-Dalit mindset,” Cheema said, accusing the Centre of pushing vulnerable communities away from employment opportunities.
AAP leader also pointed to the BJP's earlier promise of increasing guaranteed employment from 100 to 125 days. He alleged that while the government had increased the statutory ceiling, the actual availability of work had declined.
Central Government, however, has maintained that VB-G RAM G strengthens rural employment by providing a statutory guarantee of 125 days of wage employment to every eligible rural household. It has also said the new framework retains the demand-driven nature of the programme and provides for unemployment allowance if employment is not provided within the stipulated period.
The Centre has further stated that more than 99.5 per cent of workers who demanded employment under VB-G RAM G had been offered work between July 1 and July 22, with 5.20 crore person-days generated during that period.
Cheema, however, maintained that the decline in person-days during the initial months of the new scheme showed that the government's changes had reduced employment opportunities for rural workers.
“These figures clearly show that the BJP government is depriving Dalits, poor people and labourers of employment. They changed the name of the scheme, but they also changed its components and weakened the employment it provided,” he said.
