BENGALURU: In a decision highlighting the simmering tension between the Karnataka and Union governments over rural employment issues, the Karnataka Legislative Council passed unanimously the resolution opposing the VB-G RAM G at 9.39 pm on Wednesday.
The resolution was passed in the 75-member Upper House where not a single opposition member was present since they had officially boycotted the proceedings and walked out.
Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil and RDPR and IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge and members like K Shiva Kumar stressed the fact that the Bill undermines federalism by imposing a 40% burden on the states limiting job guarantees and granting more powers to the Centre in determining the type of work funding and areas of implementation.
The resolution was moved by HK Patil who spared no words but directly criticised the Act as an attack on the federal structure and principles of equity.
The Congress members urged the Centre to withdraw VB-G RAM G Act.
While BJP MLC Naveen stood up to challenge their facts and taunted the Congress members saying that they are opposing the Act only because of the 40% burden, Priyank said even Andhra Pradesh, a state ruled by NDA partner TDP, had written to the Centre seeking help for increasing employment.
Congress members argued that VB-G RAM G is a downgrade for state autonomy.
They said the Act shifts a massive 40% of the funding responsibility onto states, a move the they termed “against principles of equity”.
They said the Centre would gain the power to dictate work types and funding limits, effectively turning states into mere administrative hubs.
Patil said the new job types listed did not include several job types that are essential for rural infrastructure listed under the MGNREGA.
Meanwhile, Priyank argued that the new Act threatens the “Right to Livelihood” under Article 21, potentially pushing millions of rural workers into economic uncertainty.
Leader of the Opposition Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, MLC Ravi Kumar and MLC Naveen defended the Act, framing it as a necessary tool to improve efficiency and dismissed the state’s resistance as mere appeasement and hypocrisy.
YATNAL SUGGESTS CENTRE TO RAISE SHARE IN FUNDING
Defending the VB-G RAM G Act, senior MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal suggested to the Centre to increase its ratio of funding to implement the scheme from the present 60% to 75%. Yatnal, who was expelled from the BJP, said, “The new Act has been implemented in the wake of misuse of job cards under MGNREGA. It paid special attention with regard to the employment guarantee of the adivasis, physically challenged among others and made the states accountable.
The Centre should change the funding ratio to 75:25 from 60:40 and the new Act should be implemented effectively.” He appealed to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to not to enter into a conflict with the Centre as it will prove detrimental in the state’s development. He urged the CM to withdraw the resolution passes against VB-G RAM G. Senior Congress MLA BR Patil, deputy chairman of the state’s planning commission, appreciated Yatnal’s suggestion.
Earlier, Yatnal, defending the new Act, said that the MGNREGA was originally Jawahar Rozgar Yojna until the UPA government changed it when Dr Manmohan Singh was the PM.