Priyank Kharge claims VB-G RAM G act undermines MGNREGA's rights-based framework
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Monday strongly criticised the Union government's VB-G RAM G act 2025 that replaced MGNREGA, claiming that changes in the new legislation weaken and undermine the previous act's core promise as a rights-based rural employment programme.
In a post on social media platform 'X', Priyank Kharge said the act would gradually make the scheme untenable by transforming it from a demand-driven legal entitlement into a supply-driven arrangement, thereby stripping citizens of their right to demand work.
He observed that while the Centre would retain most decision-making powers, states would be forced to shoulder the bulk of the financial and administrative burden.
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"Much has been spoken about the VB-G RAM G Bill. But beyond everything else, these changes will slowly make the scheme untenable and eventually kill the idea of a rights-based rural employment guarantee," Priyank Kharge, son of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, said in his post.
The minister, who holds Rural Development, Panchayat Raj and Information Technology and Bio-technology portfolio, further contended that the proposed changes amounted to a dilution of fiscal federalism, particularly at a time when states are already facing shrinking financial resources.
He pointed out that tax devolution to states had fallen from 34 per cent to 31 per cent, far below the 42 per cent recommended by the Finance Commission, even as centrally sponsored schemes were becoming increasingly restrictive.
By centralising powers and curbing local planning and decentralised governance, the act would weaken the 73rd Constitutional Amendment, which grants constitutional status to Panchayati Raj Institutions, Kharge warned.
According to him, such centralisation would erode the role of local bodies that are critical to the effective implementation of MGNREGA on the ground.
Questioning the Union government's rationale, the Karnataka minister asked how the legislation could be termed a reform when it failed to meaningfully strengthen the scheme for rural workers who depend on it for livelihood security.
He maintained that reducing a legal right to work into what he described as a 'token centrally sponsored scheme', would defeat the very purpose of MGNREGA. Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday slammed the Centre for doing away with MGNREGA.
Kharge alleged that Modi is purposely destroying that Act as he wants to make poor villagers and farm labourers slaves of rich people. "Therefore, we fought for the retention of the original MGNREGA and whatever provisions are there (in the original Act) should be retained. I condemn the new Act. It is only helping the government," the Congress chief said.
The parliament, on December 18, passed the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G Bill) and President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday gave her assent to the bill and made it an act. This act replaces the 20-year-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and guarantees 125 days of rural wage employment every year.
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Screenwriter Salim Khan on ventilator support and stable, say doctors
Mumbai (PTI): Veteran screenwriter Salim Khan suffered a brain haemorrhage which has been tackled, is on ventilator support as a safeguard and stable, doctors treating him said on Wednesday, a day after he was admitted to the Lilavati Hospital here.
The 90-year-old, one half of the celebrated Salim-Javed duo which scripted films such as "Sholay", "Deewar" and "Don" with Javed Akhtar, is in the ICU and recovery might take some time given his age.
"His blood pressure was high for which we treated him and we had to put him on a ventilator because we wanted to do certain investigations. Now the ventilator was put as a safeguard so that his situation doesn't get worse. So it is not that he is critical," Dr Jalil Parkar told reporters.
"We did the investigations that were required and today we have done a small procedure on him, I will not go into the details. The procedure done is called DSA (digital subtraction angiography). The procedure has been accomplished, he is fine and stable and shifted back to ICU. By tomorrow, we hope to get him off the ventilator. All in all, he is doing quite well," he added.
Asked whether he suffered a brain haemorrhage, the doctor said, "Unko thoda haemorrhage hua tha, which we’ve tackled. No surgery is required.
As concern over Khan's health mounted, his children, including superstar Salman Khan and Arbaaz Khan, daughter Alvira, and sons-in-law Atul Agnihotri and Aayush Sharma, have been seen outside the hospital along with other well-wishers. His long-time partner Akhtar was also seen coming out of the hospital.
Khan, a household name in the 70s and 80s, turned 90 on November 24 last year. It was the day Dharmendra, the star of many of his films, including "Sholay", "Seeta aur Geeta" and "Yaadon Ki Baraat", passed away.
Hailing from an affluent family in Indore, Khan arrived in Mumbai in his 20s with dreams of stardom. He was good looking and confident he would make a mark in the industry as an actor. But that did not happen. And then, after struggling for close to a decade and getting confined to small roles in films, he changed lanes.
He worked as an assistant to Abrar Alvi and soon met Akhtar to form one of Hindi cinema's most formidable writing partnerships. They worked together on two dozen movies with most of them achieving blockbuster status.
Other than "Sholay", "Deewar" and "Don", Khan and Akhtar also penned "Trishul", "Zanjeer", "Seeta Aur Geeta", "Haathi Mere Saathi", "Yaadon Ki Baarat" and "Mr India".
