West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced on Thursday that the state’s own job guarantee scheme, ‘Karmashree’, will be renamed to honor Mahatma Gandhi. The move comes as a direct response to the Union Government’s decision to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the new VB-G RAM G Bill.
“Ashamed” of the Name Change
The Chief Minister expressed strong disapproval of the Lok Sabha’s passing of the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin). Banerjee criticized the central government for removing the name of the Father of the Nation from the flagship rural employment program.
“Ashamed that Gandhi’s name was removed from the NREGA scheme; if they can’t give respect to the Father of the Nation, we will,” Banerjee stated, as quoted by PTI.
Context of the Transition
The Lok Sabha passed the VB-G RAM G Bill on Thursday via a voice vote, despite heavy protests from the Opposition. While the new bill increases the statutory guarantee of employment from 100 to 125 days, the removal of “MG” (Mahatma Gandhi) from the title has become a major political flashpoint.
By renaming ‘Karmashree’—Bengal’s indigenous labor scheme—Mamata Banerjee aims to preserve the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi in the state’s rural development discourse, further intensifying the ideological rift between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the NDA government.