Rajasthan CM Bhajanlal Sharma slammed the previous Congress government’s corrupt and weak handling of MGNREGA. He introduced the VB-G RAM G bill, which increases guaranteed employment to 125 days and ensures transparency via tech.
Rajasthan CM Slams Congress Over MGNREGA Failures
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma on Wednesday criticised the Congress, saying that the weak administration and corruption in their previous tenure prevented the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) from bringing significant development. The Chief Minister stated that the Congress failed to achieve MGNREGA objectives, resulting in temporary roads, incomplete water structures, and unplanned earthworks. This collectively diminished the long-term socio-economic benefits.
“Under the leadership of PM Modi, our government has introduced the VB-G RAM G bill. MGNREGA was introduced to guarantee employment in rural areas. However, due to the weak administration and corruption of the previous Congress government, it was not achieving its objectives. This resulted in temporary roads, incomplete water infrastructure, or unplanned earthworks, providing no long-term economic or social benefits. This was because they did not plan properly. The benefits did not even reach the poor people it was intended for,” he said.
New Bill to Overhaul Rural Employment Scheme
The Rajasthan CM further applauded the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 (VB-G RAM G bill), underscoring that the new law will enable projects and policies to be planned with complete transparency through geo-tracking, satellite imagery, mobile apps, and AI. “In the new law, the legal guarantee of annual employment is increased from 100 days to 125 days… Projects will be planned based on requirements, and methods for their implementation will be developed. Transparency will be ensured through the use of technologies such as geo-tracking, satellite imagery, mobile apps, and AI,” he said.
Digital Audits and Timely Payments
Sharma stressed that the progress of the work will be recorded digitally through the socio audit, conducted every six months. “A social audit with digital records of the work will be mandatory every six months… Under this act, wage payments will be required weekly. Compensation will be automatically provided for delays exceeding two weeks,” he added.
Increased Employment and Financial Stability
Under the VB-G RAM G bill, rural households will be guaranteed 125 days of employment per year, significantly higher than the 100 days provided under MGNREGA. He added that the scheme would ensure weekly wage payments, which would improve the financial stability of rural workers.
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