‘Dilution of right to work’: Activists, economists slam VB-G RAM G Bill, Pg9

Key Highlights:

• Activists and economists are criticizing the proposed Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Gramin (VB-G RAM G) Bill, which aims to replace MGNREGA.
• Critics argue the bill dilutes the right to work by changing the guaranteed employment under MGNREGA into a discretionary provision controlled by the Centre.
• The bill proposes increasing guaranteed wage employment days to 125 but introduces a 60-day pause during peak agricultural seasons.
• States would bear 40% of the financial burden under the new bill, a shift from the current arrangement where the Centre covers 100% of labor costs.

Detailed Insights:

• The VB-G RAM G Bill divides work into four categories: water security, rural infrastructure, livelihood infrastructure, and disaster resilience.
• Economists argue the increase to 125 days is misleading, as average employment under MGNREGA has been only 40-50 days per year.
• The bill introduces a "normative allocation" formula, granting the Central Government full power to decide financial allocations and wage rates.
• Critics claim the bill undermines federalism by centralizing power and shifting financial obligations to state governments.
• Concerns have been raised that the bill aims to provide cheap labor to capitalists and affluent farmers by pausing work during peak agricultural seasons.

Key Concepts Involved:

• MGNREGA: A law guaranteeing 100 days of wage employment to rural households willing to do unskilled manual work.
• Right to Work: The principle that everyone has a right to employment and fair wages.
• Federalism: A system of government in which power is divided between a central authority and constituent political units.