Telangana Opposes VB G RAM G in Centre's Meet Ahead of National Rollout on July 1

Hyderabad: The state government on Monday strongly opposed the Centre's Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar & Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) legislation, and demanded that the previous Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) be continued as a statutory rights-based programme.

Minister Danasari ‘Seethakka’ Anasuya made the demand at a meeting convened by the Union rural development ministry in Delhi with all states ahead of the rollout of the new legislation from July 1, and said that the VB-G RAM G legislation must be withdrawn. She said Telangana would take its decision on joining the VB-G RAM G framework only after the state Cabinet meeting on July 2 and would communicate its stand to the Centre thereafter.

Seethakka submitted a detailed memorandum to Union rural development minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan outlining the state's objections and suggestions.

Seethakka said the proposed legislation would impose an excessive financial burden on states and significantly dilute the employment guarantee available to rural workers. She said the state government had already conveyed its concerns to the Centre and that a Cabinet sub-committee had met twice to examine the provisions in detail. Based on the committee's report, the state Cabinet would take a decision on whether or not Telangana will adopt the new legislation, she said.

Seethakka said that the proposed legislation weakened the legal right to work for rural poor, agricultural labourers and vulnerable families while reducing the powers of gram panchayats and limiting the role of state governments. She said planning, selection of works, fund allocation, implementation and monitoring were being centralised with the Union government, contrary to the spirit of cooperative federalism.