AAP’s Pawan Tinu calls the Centre’s VB-G RAM G Bill a ‘black law’, accusing the BJP of weakening MGNREGA and burdening states with new financial pressures.
Pawan Kumar Tinu, the spokesperson for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the chairman of the Punjab State Agriculture Department Bank, responded angrily to the Central Government’s “Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission – Gramin ( VB-G RAM G ) Bill.” He referred to the bill as yet another “black law” and said it was part of a plot to undermine the historic and people-focused MGNREGA Act.
Speaking at a news conference in Jalandhar, Pawan Tinu stated that MGNREGA is more than just a program—it is a lifeline for millions of workers and the impoverished nationwide. “The new bill from the BJP government is a significant step towards dismantling the legal guarantee of 100 days of employment,” he stated.
According to him, the length of employment will now be determined by the Central Government’s budgetary allocation under the “VB-G RAM G. Bill.” “Workers will be employed for less than 100 days if the budget is cut. Poor workers’ incomes will become unpredictable as a result, and unemployment and poverty in rural areas will rise even more,” he continued.
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Before introducing such a big measure, Pawan Tinu asked why the Central Government had not consulted the states, experts, or labor groups. “This demonstrates the Central Government’s authoritarian mentality,” he claimed.
He went on to say that this bill also significantly alters MGNREGA’s financial structure. “The new measure transfers 40% of the financial burden to the states, whereas previously the Central Government was solely responsible for it. This burden would be nearly hard for states already burdened with debt, limited resources, and numerous obligations. “There is a significant risk of workers’ wages being delayed and their work being stopped as a result,” he said.
Pawan Tinu also vehemently opposed the bill’s requirements for a smartphone and biometric attendance. It is not feasible for every employee to have a smartphone, and many rural locations still have serious network problems. Wages will be withheld if attendance is not recorded because of a network outage or other technological difficulties. He continued, “This system is nothing more than a plot to trap workers in technical obstacles and deny them employment.”
“Even when Punjab was struggling with floods and other natural disasters, the Center failed to provide adequate relief or release pending funds,” he remarked, highlighting the Central Government’s ongoing discrimination against Punjab. Punjab and other states are now being further weakened by this new bill, which places an additional financial strain on them.
Pawan Tinu urged the public to demand lucid responses from local BJP leaders on this anti-people bill. He declared, “The AAP will fight at every level to protect the rights of laborers, and we stand with common people, farmers, and workers.”Pawan Tinu concluded by saying, “The BJP has stolen jobs after first taking votes and then rations. However, the nation’s citizens will not keep quiet and will vehemently denounce this injustice.