Guwahati: The Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee on Monday accused the BJP-led state government of weakening the statutory right to rural employment, dismissing claims that the proposed VB-G-RAM-G Bill is a reformist alternative to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
APCC president Bosiram Siram said the Bill seeks to replace a legally guaranteed, demand-driven entitlement with a discretionary, budget-dependent scheme controlled by the government. He was reacting to statements by Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, BJP MP Tapir Gao and state BJP president Kaling Moyong, who have described the Bill as a “transformative reform” in rural employment.
Siram said slogans such as “Viksit Bharat” cannot conceal what he termed the erosion of a legal guarantee of work. He asserted that rural livelihoods cannot be left to shifting political priorities, fiscal decisions or the discretion of the ruling party.
Questioning the claim of increasing guaranteed employment from 100 to 125 days, the APCC chief said several districts fail to deliver even the existing entitlement. He alleged that workers often receive only 30 to 40 days of employment, with wages delayed for months, and demanded that pending dues be cleared before any expansion of guarantees is promised.
The Congress party also objected to the proposed 90:10 funding formula, arguing that it would disproportionately burden hill and tribal states with weak revenue bases. Siram warned that greater central control over funds could compel states to curtail employment, with adverse consequences for tribal workers.
He further alleged that the Bill centralises authority and undermines Panchayati Raj Institutions. According to him, local planning would be weakened if approvals, funding and priorities remain controlled from the Centre, contradicting BJP claims of empowering gram panchayats.
Siram said the Bill’s focus on infrastructure creation and durable assets risks marginalising landless labourers, women and elderly workers who depend primarily on wage employment. He maintained that skill development and enterprise promotion cannot substitute an unconditional job guarantee, particularly in remote border regions.
Alleging gaps between official claims and ground realities, Siram said issues such as delayed wage payments, reduced allocations, job card suppression and exclusion errors persist. He described the BJP’s defence of the Bill as political messaging rather than evidence of improved delivery.
Later in the day, the APCC held an executive meeting at Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan to chart a course of action in line with the All India Congress Committee’s call to oppose the VB-G-RAM-G Act. The party announced a statewide agitation titled “MGNREGA Bachao Sangram” from January 10 to February 25, comprising district-level protests, panchayat outreach programmes and state-level demonstrations, to oppose what it described as the dilution of livelihood security in rural Arunachal Pradesh.