• Source:JND

G Ram G Bill Row: Amid the ongoing debate over the VB-G RAM G Bill, which seeks to replace the MGNREGA scheme, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday announced that the state government’s job guarantee scheme, ‘Karmashree’, will be renamed after Mahatma Gandhi.

Speaking at the Business and Industry Conclave at the Dhono Dhanyo Auditorium, Mamata Banerjee said, “I feel ashamed that they have decided to remove Mahatma Gandhi's name from the NREGA programme, because I too belong to this country. We are now forgetting even the Father of the Nation.”

The chief minister further stated that the state government’s job guarantee scheme will be renamed after Mahatma Gandhi. “If they can't give respect to the Father of the Nation, we will. We will now rename the Karmashree scheme of our state after Mahatma Gandhi,” she added.

ALSO READ: G RAM G Bill, Replacing MGNREGA, Passed In Lok Sabha Amid Fierce Protest By Opposition; Key Provisions Explained 

Mamata’s decision to rename West Bengal’s job guarantee programme came after the Lok Sabha passed the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), or VB-G RAM G Bill, on Thursday. This VB-G RAM G Bill seeks to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA), which ensures employment opportunities in rural areas.

West Bengal’s Karmashree Scheme

Under the job guarantee scheme, Karmashree, the state government claims to provide beneficiaries with up to 75 days of work, which Mamata Banerjee stated that the state intends to raise the number of workdays under Karmashree to 100 in the near future.

Criticising the Centre for allegedly withholding funds under MGNREGA, Mamata said, “We have already created lots of workdays under 'Karmashree', which we are running with our own resources. Even if central funds are stopped, we will ensure people get work. We are not beggars.

Opposition MPs Staged Protest Against G Ram G Bill

Earlier on Thursday, Opposition MPs staged a protest march inside the Parliament House complex against the VB‑G RAM G Bill. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge warned of a nationwide movement, calling it a "systematic murder of the world's largest employment scheme."

ALSO READ: 'Don't Defame Ram's Name': Shashi Tharoor Corners Govt Over VB-G Ram G Bill In Lok Sabha

Under the banner of Mahatma Gandhi NREGA, the opposition MPs marched from the Gandhi statue at Prerna Sthal to Makar Dwar, raising slogans against the Centre’s move.


Also In News