Politics

'Rozgar Chori’? Congress Attacks New Rural Jobs Law After Sharp Employment Drop

Published: 10 August 2026 · 1 min read

What Happened

Congress accused the Centre of undermining rural employment after data showed a sharp decline in work generated under the new VB-G RAM G Act, which replaced MGNREGA on July 1. Jairam Ramesh claimed person-days of work fell nearly 50% year-on-year in July.

Key Takeaways

The row highlights growing political scrutiny of the government's revamped rural employment scheme. While the Opposition says the new framework has reduced job opportunities and weakened employment guarantees, the debate is likely to intensify as more implementation data emerges.

Sources

Indian Express, Outlook