Karnataka govt may not adopt Centre's VB-G RAM G Act

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Cabinet on Friday “condemned” the Union government’s decision to repeal the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and replace it with the Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB - G RAM G) Act, and is even considering to not implement the law in the state.

Addressing reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil said: “The Cabinet condemns the Union government’s decision to repeal the MGNREGA. Through this, the decentralisation and development emphasised at the panchayat levels through the 73rd and 74th amendments are being uprooted.” 

The All India Congress Committee (AICC) has decided to launch protests against the Act from January 5.

Patil took strong exception to changing the nature of the scheme from demand-driven to supply-driven. 

“This is so centralised that the panchayats where work will take place will be decided by the Union government,” he noted. 

The minister also slammed the move to change the 90:10 Centre — state fund-sharing arrangement to 60:40. 

Patil explained that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah would conduct a press conference on Saturday and provide further details on the government’s stand.

Sources explained that panchayats used to get an yearly average of Rs 2 crore through  the MGNREGA and their sustenance would now become difficult. 

The state Cabinet may even consider not implementing the VB – G RAM (G) Act, and instead might go for a separate legislation.  

In 2025-26, Karnataka has a target of nine crore persondays under the MGNREGA. By December 5, the state had created 6.42 crore persondays. 

In the last 2.5 years, about 17 lakh village-level assets were created by panchayats under the MGNREGA and 80 lakh households were provided with livelihoods, Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge said last week.

Opposition parties have criticised the new Act for increasing the burden on the states. They have also opposed the clause to stop works for a period of 60 days each year.

In a recent letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Siddaramaiah criticised the “arbitrary” and “hurried” enforcement of the VB-G RamG Act, arguing that it violates Articles 258 and 280 of the Constitution.

ಹಗರಿಬೊಮ್ಮನಹಳ್ಳಿ ತಾಲ್ಲೂಕಿನ ಮಾದೂರು ಗ್ರಾಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಬದು ನಿರ್ಮಾಣದಲ್ಲಿ ತೊಡಗಿರುವ ಕಾರ್ಮಿಕರು

He had told the PM that the legal guarantee of 125 days was not “absolute”, since it was determined by a centrally notified “normative” funding for “notified” areas in each state. 

Cabinet nod for 153-acre green space

The state Cabinet on Friday approved a plan to develop a 153-acre biodiversity park named after 12th century social reformer Basavanna at Madappanahalli near Yelahanka. Addressing reporters after the Cabinet meeting Forest Ecology and Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre explained that the proposed biodiversity park would be the third biggest in Bengaluru after Lal Bagh and Cubbon Park.