CM Bhagwant Mann criticises VB-G RAM G scheme in Punjab Assembly, calling it anti-poor, anti-Dalit, and demands immediate restoration of MGNREGA rights.

CM Bhagwant  Mann stated during the Punjab Vidhan Sabha’s special session that the recently renamed “Viksit Bharat – Guarantee Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Gramin (VB-G RAM G)” aims to deprive Dalits, women, and the poorest households of food, employment, and dignity. He claimed that the Union government had destroyed the core of the rights-based MGNREGA program by pushing the new bill through Parliament in just 14 hours.

The Chief Minister called for its immediate reversal, claiming that the action reveals the BJP’s anti-Punjab sentiment, benefits favored industrialists at the expense of the nation’s average citizens, and begs the fundamental question of how India can claim to be “Vishav Guru” or “Viksit Bharat” while denying the most vulnerable groups their fundamental right to food and livelihood. He also criticized the Akali Dal’s studied silence as being purposeful and opportunistic.

CM Bhagwant Singh Mann concluded the discussion during the special session called to address the matter by stating that the center has destroyed the fundamental essence of the MGNREGA program by renaming it “VB-G RAM (G),” depriving women, low-income workers, and thousands of families with job cards of their right to guaranteed wages and employment while placing an additional financial burden on the states. “The previous MGNREGA was implemented following years of discussions and was meticulously developed by former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. But the Parliament passed VB-G RAM G in a matter of hours, he pointed out.

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According to the Chief Minister, the Union government has regrettably altered the fundamental nature of the program since, whereas MGNREGA was a demand-driven program, VB-G RAM G is a norm-based program that is not in the best interests of the public. “The majority of the beneficiaries under the MGNREGA scheme have belonged to the most marginalized sections of the society, as evidenced by the fact that during the last fiscal year, the participation of women under the MGNREGA scheme implemented in Punjab has been registered at 60% and that of Scheduled castes at 70%,” he noted. As a result, CM stated that the absence of job prospects resulting from the new Act’s provisions will worsen the economic situation of these marginalized groups.

According to the Chief Minister, the new Act’s provisions are intended to weaken women and SCs in both social and economic spheres, which will worsen inequality and cause more needless suffering. “The act of the Union government is solely intended to steal food from the average person, who has greatly profited from the MGNREGA program. The program used to guarantee jobs for the disadvantaged groups, but this goal will now be undermined,” he continued.

According to the Chief Minister, the Union administration has stolen the promise that their predecessors gave to laborers for their labor, which will cause a great deal of distress, rather than providing MSP to farmers on crops. “This measure is the Union government’s strategy to corner the benefit of his blue-eyed industrialists, for whom the Prime Minister’s international travels are also scheduled. Ironically, those occupying comfortable offices in the nation’s capital will be planning for development projects in the state’s communities,” he continued.

According to Mann, the BJP actually has anti-Punjab syndrome, which causes them to make judgments that are against the interests of the state every day. The chief minister claimed that every action taken by the Union government is intended to plunder the interests of the populace, citing its rulings on Chandigarh, Punjab University, BBMB, and other issues. “The Modi government is determined to destroy the state by making a number of decisions that hurt Punjab’s interests because of its anti-Punjab mentality,” he continued.

The chief minister declared that the name of Punjab would also be removed from the national anthem if the BJP-led NDA government’s wishes were to win out. Because they are hostile to Punjab and Punjabis, the Union government has frequently engaged in such stepmotherly behavior toward the state’s citizens. By introducing the Agniveer plan, the Union government first denied SC youngsters opportunities in the Army, and now the scheme change is an additional attack on their kitchen,” he emphasized.

Mann, “On the one hand, Sahib’s allies, such as Adanis, receive various subsidies, while on the other hand, the Modi government is cutting the budgets of the pro-poor programs in the guise of fiscal control. It will not be accepted if the “master of phraseology” is only manipulating the numbers to deceive the public about these schemes. Instead of renaming the program, the Union administration ought to have prioritized people’s welfare.

By denying the impoverished access to food and other essential civic services, he questioned how India could become Vishav Guru or Viksit Bharat, adding that this is truly abhorrent. In response to the Akali Dal’s stoic silence on the matter, the Chief Minister challenged the Akali leaders to provide an explanation for their lack of response to the BJP leaders’ social media posts including cartoons of the great Guru Sahibans. He continued, “It appears that the Akali leadership is keeping quiet while they wait for the chance to form a coalition with the saffron party prior to the assembly elections.”

In an attempt to form a coalition, the Chief Minister declared that Akalis will remain silent witnesses to all of the wrongdoings of the BJP-led Union government for the next eight months.Additionally, he accused the state’s BJP leaders of being disloyal to the state’s citizens and criticized them for remaining silent on matters concerning Punjab and Punjabis. The chief minister declared, “The state government will never permit the evil plans of the center to succeed. It is a conspiracy of the Union government to steal food from the poor sections of society through this scheme.”

The Chief Minister listed the Punjab government’s pro-poor initiatives, stating that in order to empower the weaker and less fortunate segments of society, seats have been set aside for SC students in Amritsar and Patiala’s flying schools and that the state has granted reservations to SC lawyers in the state’s AG office.

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He made fun of Congress leaders, saying that whereas leaders like Sukhwinder Singh Sukhi advocate for the benefit of the people, Congress leaders only care about their own interests. “The whole Punjab should band together to strongly oppose this anti-poor move of the Union government, instead of stopping low in politics,” he continued.We are the public’s A team, the chief minister declared, and we will do everything in our power to ensure the welfare of the state and its citizens. He warned that if the Union administration continues to act in such an anti-people manner, the state’s citizens will forbid them from entering the villages. He continued, “The Punjab government will fight this bill tooth and nail, adding that it will not succeed the Union government in these evil designs.”

According to the Chief Minister, the Union administration is determined to deny the weaker and less fortunate groups access to resources, and this will not be tolerated under any circumstances. It is intolerable that this is a direct attack on the pride and dignity of the Schedule Caste brothers and sisters. The state government is the guardian of the Punjabis’ rights, and no one will be permitted to violate them, he continued, calling this central government action unjustified and undesirable.

The Chief Minister further criticized the Congress party for using flimsy strategies to divert the debate, saying that the Congress should make clear whether or not it supports the new plan. Because they have an aristocratic attitude, the Congress party wants to just flee the debate under any pretense. He continued, “It reflects the Congress’s anti-poor stance and their collusion with the BJP, which is why they don’t want to discuss this issue.”

Mann stated that it is regrettable that the Congress is having such outbursts when the house ought to be debating the Union government’s anti-poor rant. “Congress has been eliminated from the national political landscape, and its true nature has come to light. He claimed, “The Congress leader has been spitting venom against the prominent SC leaders of their own party, which is a reflection of their feudal mindset.”

The chief minister, Bhagwant Singh Mann, attacked Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira, calling him a power-hungry politician who is eager to get public attention. Sukhpal Singh Khaira uses cheap outbursts to grab media attention, particularly when the party he is a part of is considering a leadership change. He continued, “The Congress MLA is more concerned with his own publicity than the state and its citizens, which is why he even doesn’t hesitate to violate the decorum of the house.”

The Punjab Assembly denounces the MGNREGA’s deconstruction as an attack on the survival and dignity of Dalits.

A resolution proposed by Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond was unanimously approved by the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday. According to the resolution, the actions of the BJP-led Union government directly threaten the lives, dignity, and means of subsistence of Dalit workers and impoverished Dalit families, going beyond a simple administrative reversal.

The House reiterated that MGNREGA was the final economic lifeline that allowed Dalit workers to live respectably, work in their villages, and educate their children. It maintained that scrapping the plan will force Dalits to relocate to urban jhuggi communities in an attempt to survive and indicates a strongly anti-Dalit mindset.

The resolution went on to say that the BJP loses all moral standing to campaign for Dalit votes by sabotaging MGNREGA. Additionally, it blamed the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) for its silence on the matter.

As a result, the House called for the decision to be immediately overturned, MGNREGA to be fully restored in its original rights-based structure, and a guarantee of employment and prompt pay. The Punjab Assembly’s unwavering support for Dalits and the working poor was reiterated in the resolution’s conclusion.