Chief Minister Siddaramaiah speak in the Legislative Assembly in Bengaluru on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: special arrangement
Amid vociferous protests by the BJP and the JD(S) members, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday tabled a resolution in the Assembly that expresses “serious opposition” of the House to the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act, 2025, and urges the Centre to fully restore the earlier Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREGA) Act, 2005, by rolling back the new job scheme.
“In the interest of protecting the right to life of rural people of Karnataka, this House urges the Centre to immediately annul the VB-G RAM-G Act that is not only opposed to the federal structure and idea of decentralisation, but also snatches the power and rights of village panchayats besides causing serious burden on the State exchequer,” the three-page resolution tabled by the Chief Minister said.
Reiterating the Assembly’s commitment to the principles of decentralisation and panchayat raj system which is the strong foundation for the country’s democratic system, the resolution said the House viewed the annulling of the MNREGA seriously as it was an elixir of life for rural poor besides being a part and parcel of their lives.
The resolution claimed that MGNREGA introduced in 2005 by the UPA government had brought about revolutionary changes through removal of unemployment, stopping of migration, payment of wages without gender discrimination, strengthening of panchayat decentralisation and creation of personal and community properties in rural areas.
The new Act violates the right to life and livelihood granted under Article 21 of the Constitution and also goes against the spirit of the 73rd amendment of the Constitution that grants autonomy to village panchayats, besides defeating the purpose of Mahatma Gandhi’s gram swaraj, the resolution said.
Pointing out that the new legislation would make States to share 40% of the cost of wages for 150 man days unlike the earlier scheme where the Centre bore the full cost of wages, the resolution said this would affect the federal structure and violate Articles 258 and 280 of the Constitution.
Burdening the State with 40% cost of the job scheme at a time when the State’s share of Central taxes have been reduced from 4.71% in the 14th Finance Commission to 3.64% in the 15th Finance Commission was a ploy to push the State’s economic security and development to the danger zone, the resolution stated.
“The new Act that has snatched the powers of grama sabhas as the plans are being formulated from the ivory towers of Delhi,” the resolution alleged.
“The MGNREGA scheme had provided for building locally required rural properties like farm roads, cattle sheds, thresh yards, school compounds toilets etc. But the new scheme indirectly benefits contractors and corporates as it would be used in building big roads and highways as it had been linked with PM Gati Shakti project. Hence this is a scheme that further strengthens the rich by snatching food from the poor,” the resolution said.
The new scheme gives employment only for 10 months a year and there is no clarity on the inclusion of all panchayats and payment of wages. Such uncertainty would snatch the rights of rural labourers particularly that of women, Dalit workers, tribals and farmers. It is an effort to push rural labourers into modern slavery, the resolution alleged.
Published – February 03, 2026 08:59 pm IST
