India – Social and political activist Amit Mehra has issued a strong critique of the proposed Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Gramin Bill, 2025, warning that the legislation threatens to dismantle the protections offered by the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). In a press statement, Mehra argued that the new bill could push marginalized communities back into feudal-style dependence, reminiscent of the "Zamindari" era.

A Lifeline for the Marginalized

Mehra emphasized that for nearly two decades, MGNREGA has served as a critical lifeline for India’s rural poor. According to the data cited in the release, households dependent on the scheme account for roughly 22 to 25 percent of the country’s total population. Within this demographic, an estimated 75 to 80 percent of beneficiaries belong to illiterate, landless, and socially marginalized groups, including OBC, SC, and ST households.

The activist highlighted that as a demand-driven legal right to work, the act has provided essential distress relief during economic shocks, droughts, and the pandemic, while empowering women through high participation rates.

From Rights-Based to Supply-Driven

The press release outlines concerns that the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Gramin Bill, 2025 represents a damaging departure from the existing rights-based framework. Mehra argues that by replacing the "guarantee of work on demand" with a "planned, supply-driven model" tied to pre-approved panchayat plans and budgetary ceilings, the government is effectively converting a legal entitlement into a discretionary welfare scheme.

Critics fear that for illiterate and poor households, navigating complex planning processes will be unrealistic. Furthermore, the statement warns that capped allocations in high-distress regions could deny work to those who need it most.

Digital Barriers and Exclusion

A major point of contention raised by Mehra is the bill’s heavy reliance on digital systems, including biometric authentication, GPS-based attendance, and technology-driven monitoring. The activist argues that these measures risk excluding the very workers the law was designed to protect, as many lack digital literacy, stable Aadhaar linkages, or access to banking facilities and smartphones.

The release also criticizes proposed seasonal pauses of up to sixty days during peak agricultural periods. Mehra warned that landless and marginal workers dependent on year-round wage employment could be forced into exploitative labor arrangements on landlords' fields, weakening their bargaining power and reviving feudal patterns of dependence.

Political and Ideological Concerns

Mehra’s statement places these policy changes against a backdrop of broader political economy concerns. The release notes that critics have accused "crony capitalists and crony politicians" of prioritizing schemes like the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) program, airport privatization, and the Rafale deal over rural livelihoods.

The activist also condemned the removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the law in the proposed bill. Mehra described this as a "petty political vendetta" and an "ideological attempt" to sever the program from the moral vision of Gram Swaraj.

"Cloaked as rebranding under the Viksit Bharat slogan, this move amounts to historical erasure and symbolic violence against the very ideals the scheme once upheld," Mehra stated. The activist concluded that the bill signals a troubling retreat from democratic values, prioritizing control and erasure over justice and the empowerment of the rural poor.