MNREGA Replacement Sparks Row As Tharoor Calls DR Ramji Bill Retrograde

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor strongly opposed the proposed D.R. Ramji Bill in the Lok Sabha, warning that it represents a deeply regrettable and retrograde shift away from India’s commitment to its most vulnerable citizens. Tharoor argued that removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name from MNREGA is not a mere administrative change but an assault on the programme’s moral and philosophical foundation rooted in Gandhi’s vision of Gram Swaraj and “the last man first”. He also raised serious concerns over the proposed financial restructuring, which shifts 40 per cent of the burden to states, calling it fiscally irresponsible, a violation of federal principles, and a move that could render the scheme unworkable for poorer states. Tharoor further criticised provisions allowing the Union government to decide when and where the scheme operates, warning that this fundamentally alters the nature of a rights-based employment guarantee programme.