Patna (Bihar) [India], December 27 : Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Saturday emphasised that Mahatma Gandhi's last utterance was "hey Ram," and on that basis, the MGNREGA has been renamed as VB-G RAM G Act.
He called Rahul Gandhi's remarks inaccurate, asserting that the MGNREGA structure has not changed. He noted that the 100-day employment guarantee has been revised to 125 days and will now operate more effectively.
"What he said is wrong. The structure of MGNREGA has not been changed. The 100-day employment guarantee has been revised to 125 days. This is a good thing. MGNREGA will now run in an even better form. 'Hey Ram' was Mahatma Gandhi's last utterance, and based on his ideals, it has been named G-RAM G," Jitan Ram Manjhi told reporters.
Slamming the Centre over the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act recently passed in Parliament, Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi termed it a "devastating attack" on states and the poor people, "much like the demonetisation."
Speaking at a press briefing after the Congress Working Committee meeting, he argued that the move diverts funds and decision-making authority that rightfully belong to the states.
He further alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi "single-handedly" dismantled the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), without consulting the Cabinet, much like the demonetisation.
"This has been destroyed single-handedly by the Prime Minister without asking his Cabinet, without studying the matter. This is an attack on the states of India because they are simply taking away money that belongs to the state, decision-making power that belongs to the state. This is an attack on the infrastructure of those states because MNREGA used to build infrastructure. So it is a devastating attack on the states, on poor people of this country, and it is carried out by the Prime Minister single-handedly, much like demonetisation was," Gandhi said.
On November 8, 2016, PM Modi announced demonetisation, invalidating Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes by removing their legal tender status to combat black money, counterfeit currency, and terrorist financing, while aiming to boost digital payments and formalise the economy.
President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday gave assent to the Viksit Bharat--Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB--G RAM G) Bill, 2025, marking a significant milestone in the transformation of rural employment policy.
The Act enhances the statutory wage employment guarantee to 125 days per financial year for rural households. It seeks to advance empowerment, inclusive growth, convergence of development initiatives and saturation-based delivery, thereby strengthening the foundation for a prosperous, resilient and self-reliant Rural Bharat.
The Act replaces the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with a modern statutory framework that enhances livelihood security and is aligned with the national vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.