New Delhi, Dec 21 (IANS) Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday criticised opposition leaders for their attempt to mislead the nation over the government’s flagship rural job scheme.

"There is an attempt to mislead the nation in the name of MGNREGA, spreading false information,” he said, in a video message posted on social media.

“The truth is that the Viksit Bharat G RAM G bill Yojana is a step forward from MGNREGA. Workers now have a legal guarantee of 125 days of employment, not just 100 days. Provisions have been strengthened for unemployment allowances, and if wages are delayed, additional compensation will be provided," said the Union Minister.

He said the government has increased the total allocation for the rural job scheme and aims to develop self-dependent villages to achieve “Viksit Bharat” through “Viksit Village”.

Chouhan said the Bill favours the poor and development.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday strongly endorsed the recently passed Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025 (VB-G RAM G), which replaces the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

In a post on his X handle, PM Modi shared and endorsed an article penned by Chouhan, published in a leading daily and titled "New job law is not a retreat from social protection. It aims to reform".

Urging citizens to read the piece, the Prime Minister said: "In this must-read article, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan explains how the VB-G RAM G Bill aims to transform rural livelihoods by enhancing the employment guarantee, embedding local planning, balancing worker security with farm productivity, converging schemes, strengthening frontline capacity and modernising governance. He highlights that the Bill is not a retreat from social protection -- it is its renewal."

The VB-G RAM G Bill, passed by Parliament earlier this week amid heated debates and opposition protests, increases the statutory guarantee of wage employment from 100 to 125 days per rural household annually.

The legislation also introduces an unemployment allowance if work is not provided within 15 days, removes certain disentitlement provisions from the earlier law, and places emphasis on the creation of durable assets in areas such as water security, rural infrastructure and climate resilience.

In his article, Minister Chouhan addresses key criticisms of the Bill, arguing that concerns over dilution of the demand-driven nature of the scheme are unfounded, as the legislation explicitly mandates the government to provide at least 125 days of work.

Technology integration, including biometric authentication and real-time monitoring, has been positioned as a tool for transparency rather than exclusion, supported by social audits and grievance redress mechanisms, the Minister said.

As the scheme prepares for rollout from April 2026, the government views VB-G RAM G as a modern evolution aligned with the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, aimed at delivering enforceable rights, accountability and sustainable development.

--IANS

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