New Bill Threatens "Right to Work": Critics Warn VB-G RAM G Weakens MGNREGA

• Union government proposes replacing MGNREGA with Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Gramin (VB-G RAM G).
• Critics argue VB-G RAM G fundamentally weakens the "right to work" and the employment guarantee framework.
• The new Bill shifts funding responsibility, requiring most states to bear 40% of costs, unlike MGNREGA's 100% central funding for unskilled labor.
• This fiscal shift introduces uncertainty, potentially shrinking employment generation and weakening the demand-driven nature of the scheme.
• Opposition leaders like Nikhil Dey and Sujata Paul call it a "repeal of the right to work" and a symbolic renaming, not a true reform.

Why It Matters: VB-G RAM G replaces MGNREGA, but critics warn it dilutes the "right to work" by shifting financial burden to states.