Telangana Govt Writes To Centre Demanding Withdrawal Of VB GRAM G, Restoration of MGNREGS

Panchayat raj and rural development minister Danasari ‘Seethakka’ Anasuya has written three separate letters to Union rural development minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, conveying the state government's objections and recommendations on the new law and its implementation guidelines.

Seethakka argued that several provisions of the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB G RAM G) legislation would weaken the employment rights of rural poor households and adversely affect Dalits, Adivasis, landless families and other marginalised sections. She urged the Centre to amend the provisions that undermine the interests of vulnerable communities and restore both the right to work and the powers of gram panchayats.

The minister expressed concern that the proposed funding allocation mechanism, which treated the state as a single unit, ignores local employment needs at the gram panchayat level. She said backward districts such as Adilabad, Asifabad, Mulugu and Nagarkurnool had significantly higher demand for wage employment and could be disadvantaged if allocations are made on a state-wide basis rather than according to actual local requirements.

The government proposed that 80 per cent weightage for fund allocation should be based on actual person-days generated in gram panchayats over the past five years, while only 20 per cent should be linked to Finance Commission parameters. Seethakka also objected to provisions granting extensive powers to the Centre over fund distribution and performance benchmarks, stating that such decisions should be taken only after consultations with state governments.
The minister demanded that state housing programmes such as Indiramma housing be brought under the ambit of the new scheme. She noted that beneficiaries of housing schemes under MGNREGS currently receive up to 90 days of employment support, a benefit that would be lost under the proposed framework, causing hardship to poor families.
Seethakka also sought the inclusion of agriculture-linked and individual land development works that support small and marginal farmers, the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes communities. She recommended permitting livelihood-oriented activities such as restoration of flood-damaged lands, vegetable cultivation structures, fodder development, bamboo plantations, nutrition gardens and climate-resilient livelihood works.

The minister opposed the provision mandating a 60-day employment break during peak agriculture season, saying it would severely affect rural families in tribal and drought-prone regions where wage employment serves as a primary source of income. Given Telangana’s efforts to promote crop diversification and year-round cultivation, she argued that continuous employment support for agriculture-related activities is essential.

Seethakka also pointed out that afforestation, plantation drives and environmental conservation works are largely undertaken during the monsoon season. Imposing a 60-day work suspension during this crucial period would hamper their implementation. She therefore requested exemptions from the mandatory employment break for tribal areas, drought-prone mandals, plantation activities and housing construction works.

Stating that the Telangana government’s recommendations were aimed at protecting the employment rights of rural poor families, strengthening gram panchayats and safeguarding the livelihoods of Dalits, tribal communities and landless households, Seethakka urged the Centre to positively consider the suggestions and make necessary amendments to the proposed law and its rules before implementation.