Congress accuses Centre of 'rozgar chori' as new rural scheme sees 50% drop in workdays

The Congress on Monday (August 10, 2026) accused the Central government of “rozgar chori” (employment theft) after data showed a sharp decline in employment generation under the new rural jobs scheme that replaced the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

According to the Union Rural Development Ministry, the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) — or VB-G RAM G — generated 49.94% fewer person-days in July 2026 compared with the same month last year under MGNREGA. A person-day is a unit that measures the amount of work done by one person in a working day.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, in a post on X, said the BJP had wielded the “lathi” not only against the youth but also against the country’s labourers. He added that scrapping MGNREGA had stripped millions of families of their “right to work” and that VB-G RAM G had “wiped out the employment of 50% of labourers.”

Mr. Kharge also questioned whether the pending ₹17,144 crore in MGNREGA funds had been released to States, and whether any assistance had been provided to drought-affected States. “There is a 26.50% shortfall in sowing for the kharif crop. Does anyone care? Has the Central government taken any steps regarding the funding pattern of VB-G RAM G, on which BJP-ruled States had demanded a review?” he said.

Congress general secretary (communications) and former Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh said the first-month data exposed “the cost of destroying the MGNREGA.” He argued that MGNREGA had empowered gram panchayats and freed workers from dependence on “the political whims of the government of the day.” In contrast, he said, the new scheme centralises the programme, imposes a heavy financial burden on States, relies heavily on technology and biometric authentication, removes the guarantee of employment, and makes it harder for workers to claim rights. He called the new law “simply ‘rozgar chori’.”

The Rural Development Ministry’s data has not been independently verified. The government had not responded to the Congress’s allegations at the time of writing. The VB-G RAM G, which replaced the UPA-era MGNREGA, is intended to provide rural employment, but its design has drawn criticism from opposition parties and some economists.

The issue also comes amid broader concerns over rural distress, with the kharif sowing shortfall and drought conditions in several States. Congress leaders have demanded a review of the scheme’s funding pattern, which they claim places an unfair financial burden on State governments.

This article will be updated if the government issues a response.