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Ludhiana: District panel sounds alarm over new rural jobs bill
Congress MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring chaired the meeting where DISHA members voiced serious concern over the proposed replacement of MGNREGA, 2005
The Ludhiana District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) on Friday passed a unanimous resolution opposing the proposed Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025, calling it anti-poor and harmful to rural livelihoods. The panel has demanded immediate withdrawal of the bill, warning that it could weaken rural employment in the state.
Congress MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring chaired the meeting at the District Administrative Complex, where DISHA members voiced serious concern over the proposed replacement of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005. They opposed the shift from full Central funding to a 60:40 Centre–state sharing model, warning that Punjab’s weak finances would make such a system unworkable.
They said that Punjab’s public debt could reach ₹4.17 lakh crore by March this year, over 46% of the state’s Gross State Domestic Product, leaving little fiscal space for additional welfare spending. The committee added that MGNREGA remains a vital support system in the state, particularly for Scheduled Caste workers, who make up over 70% of active job card holders.
DISHA members highlighted that Punjab generated an average of only 40.8 days of work per household in 2024–25, below the national average of over 50 days. They warned that higher state contributions could delay wage payments and weaken implementation. Provisions like Aadhaar-linked payments and seasonal breaks under the new scheme, they said, could exclude poor families, force distress migration, and hurt rural consumption.
Special concern was raised for Ludhiana district, where only 1% of households completed 100 days of work under MGNREGA. The panel urged the continuation of the scheme with full central support and called for wide consultations with states, workers’ groups and experts before any policy changes. It also recommended that Punjab raise the issue at the national-level and explore legal avenues to protect the right to work.
Speaking to the media, Warring alleged that the AAP government in Punjab failed to implement MGNREGA properly over the past four years and that the BJP-led Centre’s new Bill threatens the limited support available to the poor.
Warring also demanded a probe into Buddha Nullah cleaning expenditure, claiming crores of rupees had been spent with little visible impact.
Taking a dig at former Punjab finance minister and BJP leader Manpreet Badal, Warring said Punjab’s financial crisis was the result of policies followed during his tenure.
