Centre’s VB-G RAM G Bill a Dangerous Move to Undermine Livelihoods of Millions: MP Malvinder Singh Kang

NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Malvinder Singh Kang on Tuesday strongly opposed the Centre’s proposed ‘VB-G RAM G’ Bill during the Winter Session of Parliament, terming it a dangerous and regressive step aimed at weakening and effectively dismantling MGNREGA, the country’s largest social security programme for rural labourers.

Participating in the debate on this bill, Kang drew a sharp parallel with the now-repealed farm laws. He said that just as the anti-farmer laws had triggered nationwide protests because they threatened farmers’ livelihoods, the proposed changes to MGNREGA pose a similar threat to India’s poorest, unskilled and most vulnerable workers.

Kang said that MGNREGA is not merely an employment scheme but a critical social security net. He recalled that after its introduction, there were countless stories from villages where families could afford dignified living, and for the first time, festivals like Diwali were celebrated with joy in poor households due to assured employment and income.

Raising serious objections to specific provisions of the bill, the AAP MP pointed out that clauses restricting work during peak agricultural seasons would leave labourers without employment precisely when they need income the most. “If rural workers are denied work during crucial periods, what alternative livelihood will they have?” he asked.