Politics
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Congress cites July drop under new rural jobs law
The Hindu··11 Aug
Congress criticised the Centre after Rural Development Ministry data showed person-days under VB-G RAM G in July 2026 were 49.94 percent lower than MGNREGA in July last year. Mallikarjun Kharge called the replacement rozgar chori and asked about pending MGNREGA dues of Rs 17,144 crore. Jairam Ramesh said the new law centralises delivery and weakens the employment guarantee.
Prism
What It Means For You
- Rural workers can compare July workdays under VB-G RAM G with last year's MGNREGA July figure cited by Congress.
- State governments tracking wage arrears can note the Rs 17,144 crore pending dues question raised by Kharge.
- Anyone following rural jobs policy can watch whether first-month data holds as a trend or a transition dip.
What's Happening
- Congress says July 2026 person-days under VB-G RAM G fell nearly 50 percent versus MGNREGA a year earlier.
- The party labels the new rural jobs law rozgar chori and criticises centralisation and biometric hurdles.
- Leaders also raised pending MGNREGA payments, kharif sowing shortfall and funding-pattern concerns.
Why MGNREGA Replacement Remains Politically Contested
- MGNREGA was framed as a legal right to work anchored in gram panchayats.
- VB-G RAM G is the Centre's successor scheme, making early output data a proxy battle over design.
- Person-day counts are a standard public metric for how much paid rural labour a scheme actually delivers.
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