Punjab to convene special Assembly session against G RAM G Bill in Jan
Chandigarh, Dec 19
The Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab on Friday said it would convene a special session of Punjab Vidhan Sabha next month against the Centre's “attempt to hit the livelihoods of the poor by replacing the MGNREGA schemeâ€.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said, "The BJP government at the Centre is trying to hit the livelihoods of the poor by replacing the MGNREGA scheme. A special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha will be called in the second week of January to raise the voice of Punjabis against this oppression."
It is learnt that the decision to convene the special Vidhan Sabha session was taken by the party's top leaders, including AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, on Thursday evening.
Currently, Kejriwal is on a three-day tour of the state. Meanwhile, the previous session of Vidhan Sabha, which was also special, held on November 24, was prorogued by the Governor on December 17.
The Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (VB-G RAM G) Bill was passed in Parliament amidst protests by Opposition MPs.
Earlier, when the Bill was introduced, the AAP had condemned it, saying it was a step by the Union government to dismantle the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and called it a "well-planned deception" aimed at weakening the rights, dignity, and livelihood security of rural labourers.
AAP spokesperson Neel Garg had said the Modi government has consistently relied on "hollow slogans and political theatrics to mislead the public, while systematically eroding welfare guarantees meant for the poorest sections of society".
"This is not merely a change of name, nor is it about removing Mahatma Gandhi's name. The real issue is that the Centre has effectively sounded the death knell for MGNREGA and is trying to hide its anti-labourer agenda behind manufactured TV debates and distractions," he had said.
Garg had questioned how rural labourers would now access employment. "Will a poor worker now have to approach the Prime Minister for work? Even reaching the sarpanch was difficult; this policy completely disconnects employment from the grassroots and centralises power in Delhi," he had added.
Even the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has expressed concern over the Union government's proposal to institute a 60:40 ratio between the Centre and viewed the introduction of a cost-sharing mechanism as fundamentally unacceptable, as it diluted the core essence of the scheme and defeated its primary objective of guaranteeing livelihood security through wage employment in rural areas.
— IANS
Reader Comments
While I understand the concern, I wish the political rhetoric was toned down. Calling it "oppression" feels extreme. There should be a debate on whether the new scheme can be improved, not just outright rejection. A special session seems more like political theatre.
My father used to get work under MGNREGA during the lean season. It put food on our table. This new bill sounds like it will make the process bureaucratic and difficult for the actual labourer. Delhi should not decide everything for Punjab's farmers and workers.
It's interesting that even SAD is concerned. When rival parties in Punjab agree on something, the Centre should listen. The 60:40 cost-sharing is a trap for debt-ridden states like ours. This is about safeguarding Punjab's interests, not politics.
The name change is the least of the problems. The real issue is the guarantee of work. MGNREGA had flaws with delays in payments, but at least the right to work was a legal guarantee. Will this new "Guarantee" actually guarantee anything? Doubtful.
Watching from abroad, this seems like a crucial welfare debate. Centralizing control and adding financial burdens on states rarely works out for the most vulnerable. Hope the session leads to constructive solutions, not just grandstanding.
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