The State government has expressed fears that the introduction of VB-G-RAM-G scheme replacing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) will once again encourage migration of labour from Telangana.

Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, in his budget speech on Friday (March 20), made a mention of the new scheme and pointed out that in Telangana, 54.90% of the beneficiaries belong to SC, ST, and OBC communities. Because of Budget limitations, a serious threat looms over their livelihoods.

“But the current Central Government has brought in a new scheme called VB-G RAM G in place of MGNREGA. Our Telangana Legislative Assembly has unanimously opposed this new law,” he said.

The law brought by the then UPA government in the name of Mahatma Gandhi as a weapon to eradicate poverty and unemployment in villages is the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). This is not just a scheme; it is an ‘employment right’ provided to the common person. Over the past two decades, this scheme has brought about a silent revolution in villages. By guaranteeing 100 days of work every year, it has checked migration and become a pillar of women’s empowerment, as women constitute over 50% of the labourers under it, he added.