Opposition’s protest against new rural jobs Act is a failure: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Allocations to rural development projects increased under the Narendra Modi government when compared with the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said while replying to a debate in the Rajya Sabha on the working of his Ministry on Tuesday (March 17, 2026). While the Congress accused others of forgetting Mahatma Gandhi, under its regime, most projects were named after members of the Nehru family, Mr. Chouhan said.

The Congress lacked policy clarity, leadership, and intent, Mr. Chouhan said. The protests against the change in the name of MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) to VB-G RAM G [Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin)] Act did not succeed as the country was not standing with them, he said.

Mocking the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi for wearing jeans during the protests, he said the protest dates had been repeatedly announced and rescheduled, at first January 5; then January 8; and later, January 10. “Yet, the agitation failed to gain traction. I travelled across the country looking for this mahasangram (great battle), but neither the earth shook nor the sky cracked; not even a leaf moved,” Mr. Chouhan said.

Attacking the West Bengal government, the Union Minister said social audit findings from the State reported nearly 11 lakh irregularities in implementing the MGNREGA, including fake job cards, fake muster rolls, machines replacing labourers, and alleged fund irregularities. Defending the VB-G RAM G Act, Mr. Chouhan said it was an upgraded framework for rural employment, and the new structure provided stronger safeguards for workers while improving productivity.

“The new framework proposes to increase the guaranteed employment period from 100 days to 125 days, along with improved wages, unemployment allowance provisions, and legal safeguards such as interest payments in cases of delayed wage disbursement,” he said.

Refuting the Opposition’s charges that allocations had come down for the rural job scheme during the Modi regime, he said the Union government had made a record allocation of ₹95,692 crore in the Union Budget toward the new initiative.