Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), alleging that the scheme had effectively turned into a “guarantee of loot” due to systemic loopholes. He asserted that the Narendra Modi government’s newly enacted Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (Grameen) (VB-G RAM G) Act had been designed in a way that leaves no scope for even a single rupee of corruption.
Addressing a press conference after a BJP workshop, Rijiju urged people not to fall for what he described as “misinformation” being spread by the opposition regarding the new legislation. He said the government had already begun implementing the VB-G RAM G Act and that visible changes on the ground would soon be evident.
‘No Loopholes Like MGNREGA’
Drawing a comparison with the old employment guarantee scheme, Rijiju alleged that crores of rupees were siphoned off under MGNREGA because of weak monitoring mechanisms.
“Unlike MGNREGA, where loopholes enabled large-scale corruption, the VB-G RAM G Act has been framed in a manner that eliminates such possibilities,” he said.
The minister accused opposition parties of spreading false propaganda, comparing the current criticism of the VB-G RAM G Act to the claims made during the enactment of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), when it was alleged that Muslims would lose their citizenship.
“Nothing of that sort happened then, and similar attempts are being made now to mislead people,” Rijiju added.
Focus on Outcomes, Not Names
Responding to allegations that the government was removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name by replacing MGNREGA, Rijiju said the emphasis should be on work, transparency and outcomes, not on the nomenclature of schemes.
“Our concern is effective implementation and real development. Under the earlier law, corruption could not be checked effectively,” he said.
Fully Digitised Monitoring System
Highlighting the safeguards built into the new framework, Rijiju said the VB-G RAM G Act was fully digitised, with zone-level and satellite mapping to track every project from the grassroots to higher administrative levels.
“This ensures continuous monitoring and leaves no room for financial irregularities,” he claimed.
Higher Work Guarantee, Better Accountability
Rijiju pointed out that the guaranteed employment period under the new law has been increased from 100 days to 125 days, along with provisions for compensation in case of delays. He said this would provide greater security to rural workers while ensuring accountability in implementation.
The minister further alleged that despite an expenditure of over Rs 11 lakh crore under MGNREGA, rural India had not seen development commensurate with the scale of spending. He also claimed that funds were often not allocated to states based on their actual requirements.
Special Significance for Uttar Pradesh
Rijiju said the new scheme would be particularly impactful in Uttar Pradesh, given the state’s large rural population and agrarian economy.
“The impact of these changes will be most visible in Uttar Pradesh,” he said, expressing confidence that the new law would deliver better results than its predecessor.