Telangana Cabinet Approves VB G Ram G, To Also Move Supreme Court Against Act

Hyderabad: The state Cabinet on Thursday approved the implementation of the VB-G RAM G Act in the state with effect from July 1, while simultaneously deciding to challenge certain provisions of the legislation in the Supreme Court, contending that they were against the interests of states and violated the spirit of federalism.

Briefing the media after the Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, information and public relations minister, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, said the Cabinet held a detailed discussion on the implementation of the new legislation and expressed strong objections to several provisions that were incorporated without consulting the states.

The Cabinet recalled that the Telangana Assembly had, in January this year, passed a resolution urging the Centre not to alter the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), which provided employment security to rural labourers, and had forwarded the resolution to the Union government. It decided to once again communicate the state's opposition to the Centre.

The minister said the Cabinet also deliberated on the recommendations made by the Cabinet sub-committee headed by irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy. The sub-committee had concluded that the Centre's unilateral decision to implement the VB-G RAM G scheme, which imposed an additional financial burden on state governments, was contrary to the federal structure and the constitutional spirit.

During the meeting, the Cabinet sought details from officials on whether other states had accepted the new legislation. Officials informed the ministers that all other states had decided to implement the new Act.

In view of the prevailing situation and to ensure that employment opportunities for MGNREGS workers are not disrupted, the Cabinet decided that the state had no alternative but to implement the new law. Accordingly, it approved the issuance of a notification to bring the VB-G RAM G Act into force in Telangana with retrospective effect from July 1, 2026.

At the same time, the Cabinet resolved to pursue a legal battle against the contentious provisions of the Act by approaching the Supreme Court. It also decided to raise the issue in Parliament and question the Centre over what it described as its unilateral approach in enacting and implementing the legislation without adequately consulting the states.