All Things Policy The MNREGA vs VB- RAM-G Debate
Jan 5, 2026
M R Sharan, an economist and assistant professor at the University of Maryland, delves into the controversial VB-RAM-G Bill, which dramatically alters the employment guarantees of MNREGA. He discusses the sweeping changes, such as limits on work demand and the implications for rural employment and social movements. Sharan critiques the shift from decentralized local planning to centralized control, revealing potential disruptions to collective action. He also highlights how these reforms impact local governance and the political landscape surrounding rural employment.
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Workers Told To Stop MNREGA Before Transition
- Sharan recounts that Bihar activists like Sanjay Sani were told their villages would receive no MNREGA work until the new law's launch.
- This administrative halt began months before the legal transition allowed continued MNREGA work.
MNREGA's Core Design And Purpose
- The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) legally guaranteed work on demand at minimum wage within 15 days and mandated timely payment.
- The Act aimed to create a rural wage floor and encouraged collective worker mobilization to strengthen bargaining power.
Big Gap Between Law And Practice
- Implementation diverged sharply from the Act: corruption, rationing, and delayed payments were common despite reforms like social audits and digitisation.
- Despite flaws, MNREGA created useful local assets and served as a bargaining lever that raised rural wages and incomes.
