The proposed legislation ‘fundamentally alters the character of MGNREGA, the, demand-driven law guaranteeing limited employment as a statutory right
NEW DELHI — The Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the All India Agricultural Workers Union (AIAWU) on Monday strongly opposed the Union government’s proposed Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025, alleging that it seeks to dismantle the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and weaken the legal right to work for rural households.
In a statement, the CPI(M) said the proposed legislation fundamentally alters the character of MGNREGA, which is a universal, demand-driven law guaranteeing limited employment as a statutory right. According to the party, the new bill absolves the Union government of its legal responsibility to provide funds based on demand, thereby undermining the programme’s rights-based framework.
The left party dismissed the government’s claim of increasing guaranteed employment from 100 to 125 days as “cosmetic,” warning that provisions for the rationalisation of job cards could exclude large numbers of rural households. It also criticised clauses allowing suspension of employment for up to 60 days during peak agricultural seasons, arguing that such measures would deprive workers of income when it is most needed and increase their dependence on landlords.
Another major concern flagged by the CPI(M) is the proposed change in funding. Under the bill, the Centre’s responsibility for wage payments would fall from 100 per cent to a 60:40 sharing arrangement with states, while the latter would also bear the cost of unemployment allowances and compensation for delayed payments. The introduction of “normative allocation,” with expenditure ceilings fixed by the Centre was described as a move that would curtail the scheme’s reach and dilute central accountability.
The All India Agricultural Workers Union echoed these concerns, calling the bill a “dangerous attempt” to convert a statutory right into a discretionary welfare scheme. In a preliminary assessment, the union said provisions such as Section 6 — which allows governments to halt work during notified peak agricultural seasons — directly undermine the core objective of employment guarantee.
The union also warned that the bill institutionalised controversial mechanisms such as biometric authentication, digitisation, geospatial planning, and app-based monitoring, which have previously led to exclusion and denial of work. It argued that the promise of 125 days of employment was hollow, noting that even under the existing law, the average number of workdays provided in most states remains below 50.
Accusing the BJP-led Centre of being consistently hostile to MGNREGA, the union said budget cuts, delayed wage payments, and administrative hurdles have already weakened the programme. The proposed legislation, it added, represents the “most dangerous assault” yet on the Right to Work.
The CPI(M) has demanded immediate withdrawal of the bill and called for consultations with political parties, trade unions, and organisations of the rural poor to strengthen MGNREGA. Meanwhile, the AIAWU announced plans for nationwide protests, urging its units to mobilise agricultural and rural workers against what it termed an “anti-worker, pro-corporate” law.
