Bengaluru (Karnataka):
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Monday raised questions over the feasibility of implementing the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act, asserting that states lack the financial capacity to support the legislation.
Speaking to reporters, Shivakumar said the state government does not have the necessary funds to implement the Act. “They cannot implement the new bill. Who will provide the funds for it? No state can provide the grant,” he said, adding that while the Centre has indicated it is open to discussions, the state is prepared to debate the matter in the Karnataka Assembly.
Responding to remarks made by Union Minister and JD(S) MP HD Kumaraswamy regarding political motives, the Deputy Chief Minister said that politics should be centred on public service rather than personal interests. “We are all serving the people of the country. We are doing politics for the people, not for the family. Whatever law exists in the country is the same for everyone,” he said.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Sunday alleged that the VB-G RAM G Bill violates constitutional provisions. He claimed that the legislation undermines the powers of panchayats, dilutes the right to work, and fails to ensure minimum wages for labourers.
“They know that if there is a debate on MGNREGA, they have nothing to say. The VB-G RAM G Bill has violated the powers of the panchayat and the Constitution. There is no minimum wage for labour, and the right to work has been diluted,” Kharge said.
Kharge also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of disrupting the functioning of the Karnataka Assembly, days after Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot walked out of the House without reading the complete address drafted by the state government. He alleged that constitutional norms and traditions were violated during the episode and claimed the BJP was unwilling to allow a discussion on the issue.
The VB-G RAM G Act, passed during the Winter Session of Parliament in 2025, replaces the existing 100-day employment guarantee with a 125-day guarantee. However, the Opposition has criticised the legislation for removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the scheme and for altering the earlier 60:40 funding share between the Centre and the states.
