BJP and JD(S) accuse Congress of misleading people on VB-G RAM G scheme, welcome special session

The Bharatiya Janata Party and its ally Janata Dal (Secular) on Saturday accused the Congress government in Karnataka of “spreading misinformation” on the Union government’s VB-G RAM G scheme, while welcoming Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s decision to convene a special session of the Legislature to discuss the issue.

At a joint press conference addressed by Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy, BJP State president B.Y. Vijayendra and other senior party leaders, the Opposition alliance said the scheme was a major rural employment and livelihood programme conceptualised under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and aimed at strengthening gram panchayats and social audits.

Mr. Vijayendra said the Congress was attempting to “mislead” people by claiming that the scheme would dilute MGNREGA. “The Centre has increased the number of workdays from 100 to 125 and ensured funds reach beneficiaries directly. Gram panchayat decisions will continue as before and powers are not being taken away. The Congress never thought of schemes but only scams during its years in power. It is now campaigning against the scheme even before its roll out,” he said, asserting that the BJP-JD(S) would take the issue to the village level to counter the “misinformation”.

Open debate

Mr. Kumaraswamy challenged Congress leaders to an open debate on the scheme. He said the Congress, which ruled the country for decades, did not name major schemes after Mahatma Gandhi and had “failed to address corruption and fake bills under MGNREGA”. “MGNREGA has not been stopped. Irregularities have been corrected. The Congress is now opposing transparency and social audits,” he said.

According to him, the scheme follows a 60:40 funding pattern, with the Centre bearing the larger share. He said the scheme provides for project design at the gram panchayat level, priority setting by gram sabhas and mandatory social audits. “This level of accountability was missing earlier,” he said, claiming that the Centre was not weakening panchayat powers or State rights.

Fake job cards

The Opposition alliance alleged that the State government had previously failed to prevent fake job cards and inflated bills, and cited past incidents where wage payments were delayed.

Both leaders welcomed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s decision to convene a two-day special session to discuss the scheme. “Let us debate what the Congress achieved through MGNREGA and what the Centre has done in the last 10 years,” Mr. Vijayendra said, adding that the State government had not yet notified its promised State Education Policy after deciding not to implement the National Education Policy.

The alliance also alleged that the Congress was unable to accept the Prime Minister’s popularity and was attempting to create discontent. It said the Opposition would not allow “false narratives” to go unchallenged.