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Manoj Jha shared the letter on the social media platform ‘X’. He said that MGNREGA is not just a government scheme, but a moral promise made by the Republic of India to its poorest citizens. It reflects the guarantee of dignity, livelihood, and social justice enshrined in the Constitution.
Manoj Jha urges MPs to oppose VB-G-Ram-G bil
New Delhi: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha wrote an open letter to other members of Parliament on Thursday, appealing to them to protect MGNREGA and oppose the 'Viksit Bharat G-Ram-G Bill' introduced to replace it. In the letter, Rajya Sabha member Jha cited Mahatma Gandhi's talisman, which advises remembering the face of the poorest person when making decisions.
Manoj Jha shared the letter on the social media platform 'X'. He said that MGNREGA is not just a government scheme, but a moral promise made by the Republic of India to its poorest citizens. It reflects the guarantee of dignity, livelihood, and social justice enshrined in the Constitution.
The Rajya Sabha MP invoked Gandhi's talisman to strengthen his argument. He said that Gandhi urged us to remember the face of the poorest and weakest person we have seen and ask ourselves whether the decision we are about to make will be of any use to that person and whether it will give them back control over their lives.
He said that Gandhi believed that when a decision passes this test, all doubts vanish. This talisman was meant to guide every decision in public life, and today he is writing this letter keeping the same principle in mind. He appealed to them to oppose the 'VB-G-Ram-G Bill, 2025'. He said that the bill was discussed late into the night in the Lok Sabha.
He also urged members of the Rajya Sabha to oppose it. Manoj Jha said that the MGNREGA Act of 2005 was enacted with the support of all major political parties. At that time, Parliament considered it a shared constitutional responsibility that the right to work with dignity is an integral part of our democratic system. Claim of 125 days of work is misleading: Manoj Jha
He also cited Article 41 of the Constitution, which directs the state to ensure work and government assistance to the unemployed and needy. He said that MNREGA translated this directive into a legal guarantee, but the proposed bill eliminates this guarantee. Manoj Jha said that the government is claiming that the new framework will provide 125 days of work instead of 100, but this claim is misleading.
