Chandigarh, September 26, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Saturday accused the BJP-led Central Government of weakening rural employment opportunities by replacing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G).
Addressing a press conference, Cheema said the government had claimed that the change involved only the name of the rural employment scheme, but argued that its structure and employment-generating components had also been altered.
“The 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,” Cheema said.
He cited figures that, according to him, showed a decline in employment generated under the new framework. Cheema said around 20.4 crore person-days had been generated compared with approximately 30 crore during the corresponding period under the previous scheme, which he described as a reduction of about 9.56 crore person-days.
The government, however, maintains that VB-G RAM G has enhanced the statutory employment guarantee from 100 to 125 days per rural household and retains the demand-driven nature of the programme. The Union Rural Development Ministry said the new law came into force nationwide from July 1, 2026.
Cheema argued that any reduction in employment opportunities would disproportionately affect economically vulnerable sections, including Dalits and rural labourers. He also claimed that a large share of workers covered under the rural employment programme belong to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities.
“The BJP government has hit the poorest people where it hurts most, their livelihoods and their daily wages,” he alleged.
Cheema further criticised the government over its promise of increasing the employment guarantee to 125 days, arguing that the enhanced statutory entitlement would have little meaning if actual work opportunities declined.
The Central Government has said the new framework not only provides 125 days of guaranteed wage employment but also focuses on rural infrastructure, livelihood-related works, water security and climate resilience. It has also stated that workers continue to have a statutory right to demand employment and receive unemployment allowance if work is not provided within the prescribed period.
Recent reporting based on official dashboard data showed that VB-G RAM G generated fewer person-days in July 2026 than MGNREGA had generated in July 2025, although the government has attributed implementation figures to factors including the demand for employment and the transition to the new framework.
Cheema maintained that the employment figures warranted scrutiny and accused the Centre of acting against the interests of poor households, rural workers and marginalised communities.
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