Shashi Tharoor Condemns Replacing Gandhi's Name in Rural Employment Scheme: MGNREGA vs G RAM G Controversy

New Delhi:

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor firmly opposed the BJP's initiative on Tuesday to substitute the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme with the Viksit Bharat Guarantee For Rozgar And Ajeevika Mission.

During his Lok Sabha address, Tharoor voiced opposition to the new legislation, known as G Ram G, which provides an additional 25 days of paid employment but shifts 40 percent of the financial responsibility to state governments.

Tharoor, whose standing within the Congress party remains precarious following his complimentary remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi, especially post-Operation Sindoor, characterized the removal of Gandhi's name as "immoral" while simultaneously urging the government to avoid "sullying Ram's name".

He expressed this sentiment on X the previous evening, noting, "Replacing the Mahatma's name in a scheme for the rural poor ignores this profound symbiosis (between Gandhi's vision for self-governing villages and that of 'Ram Rajya', or a period of idealised governance)..."

"Let us not dishonour his legacy by creating a division where none existed."

RECAP | 'Let's Not Dishonour Mahatma's Legacy': Tharoor On MGNREGA Row

The Thiruvananthapuram representative was not alone in challenging the government's decision.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called for the withdrawal of the bill, questioning the obsession with renaming every scheme and highlighting the financial implications of such changes.

"A bill should not be passed in haste... this bill must be withdrawn," she asserted, also emphasizing that MGNREGA had been successfully supporting the rural economy for two decades.

READ | "Mahatma Not From My Family, But...": Priyanka Gandhi Leads G Ram G Row

When a treasury bench member made a "family" comment, she responded firmly, "Mahatma Gandhi is not from my family, but he is like my family... the entire country feels the same way!"

Priyanka Gandhi additionally requested that the bill be referred to a standing committee for further review.

MGNREGA vs G RAM G

Fundamentally, the former program is funded by the central government, which covers 100 percent of wages for unskilled laborers. States contribute only a small portion of total expenses.

Differences between the old and new rural employment guarantee schemes.

The G RAM G bill alters this funding structure, requiring states to shoulder 40 percent of the overall costs. Opposition leaders, including those from a key BJP ally – Andhra Pradesh's governing Telugu Desam Party – have raised concerns about this change, citing increased pressure on state budgets.

READ | On G Ram G Over MGNREGA Bill, Congress Asks "Problem With Bapu?"

The ratio for northeastern and Himalayan states will remain 90:10, while union territories will receive complete funding from the central government. This reorganization means that of the estimated annual expenditure of Rs 1.51 lakh crore, the Modi government will now provide only Rs 95,692 crore.

Nevertheless, government sources informed NDTV that the G RAM G bill actually aligns with the broader 'Viksit Bharat 2047' vision, as does the transition from demand-based funding to a normative model, bringing it in line with the budgeting approach used for most central government initiatives.