New Delhi, Nov 4 The Congress on Wednesday alleged that the VB-G RAM G grievance redressal rules notified this week have further “disempowered” workers, reducing their so called right to “yet another jumla”.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh claimed that using the mirage of digital governance, the rules clearly demonstrate that the rights will remain on paper.
He said that in the continuing trend of converting India’s most significant rights-based law into nothing more than an administrative scheme, the Union Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) has notified a set of rules on grievance redress which further “disempower” workers and people, leaving their so called right as “yet another jumla”. Where the government could have shown its intent to immediately redress violations of the core provisions of the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act, it has decided to remove those avenues altogether, Ramesh argued.
“The final VB-G RAM G Grievance Redressal Rules, notified by MoRD on 2 November 2026, have significantly diluted several important provisions contained in the draft Rules published in May 2026,” he said in his post on X.
He pointed out that the key changes include the removal of penalties for failure to resolve grievances within the stipulated time frame.
“The draft Rules explicitly stated that failure to dispose of a grievance within seven working days would constitute a contravention of the Act and attract action under Section 27,” he said, adding that this provision has been deleted from the final Rules. While timelines remain, there is no longer an explicit provision in the rules holding officials accountable for non-compliance, Ramesh said.
He also flagged the “removal” of the obligation to initiate criminal proceedings in cases of financial irregularities.
“The draft required the District Programme Coordinator (DPC), after obtaining legal advice, to ensure that an FIR was lodged and necessary proceedings initiated where prima facie evidence of financial irregularities emerged from preliminary enquiries or social audit findings. This provision has been entirely deleted,” Ramesh said.
He also flagged the “removal of mandatory oversight” by elected Panchayati Raj Institutions.
“The draft required action taken on grievances to be placed before Intermediate and District Panchayat meetings for review and monitoring. This provision has been deleted, weakening democratic oversight of grievance redressal,” the Congress leader said.
Ramesh also cited the “removal” of mandatory weekly grievance-receiving days.
“The draft required officials at every level to be available to receive grievances on at least one designated day every week. This requirement has been removed, making it harder for workers to know when and where they can approach officials,” he said.
The Congress leader also expressed concern over the “removal” of dedicated grievance redressal desks.
“The draft mandated grievance redressal desks at every Block and District to facilitate registration of complaints and provide information about the implementation of the Act. This provision has been deleted,” Ramesh said.
He also flagged the dilution of the requirement for physical verification of complaints.
“The draft explicitly required enquiries through spot verification or inspection. The final Rules permit examination of official records and other information but do not expressly require physical verification,” Ramesh said.
This is particularly problematic where complaints concern falsification of muster rolls, fraudulent payments or discrepancies between official records and ground realities, he added.
Pointing out the removal of mandatory quarterly reporting, Ramesh said the draft required the DPC to submit quarterly reports to the state government detailing the number, nature and categories of grievances, along with their disposal and pendency. This provision has been deleted, weakening institutional monitoring and accountability, he claimed.
Ramesh further alleged weakening of automatic escalation, saying the draft explicitly required grievances unresolved within 15 days to be automatically escalated to the next higher authority through the digital platform.
“The final Rules retain mandatory escalation after fifteen days but remove the explicit requirement that it be automatic,” he said.
Flagging the “removal” of an explicitly mandated state-level grievance redressal mechanism, Ramesh said the draft required state governments to establish grievance redressal mechanisms at Gram Panchayat, Block, District and State levels.
“The final Rules expressly specify only Gram Panchayat, Block and District levels, although they allow other levels to be designated,” he said.
Alleging the removal of detailed appellate provisions from the rules, Ramesh said the draft explicitly specified the appellate hierarchy, a 45-day period for filing appeals and a 30-day deadline for their disposal.
“The final Rules replace these provisions with a reference to Schedule I of the Act. Whether this reduces the substantive right of appeal depends on the corresponding provisions of the parent Act,” he said.
Flagging reduced flexibility for state-level digital grievance systems, Ramesh said the draft recognised digital grievance platforms provided by either the Centre or state government.
“The final Rules place greater emphasis on a Central Government-designated digital platform, reducing the express flexibility available to States,” Ramesh said.
“Without making sufficient financial allocations, ensuring the realisation of the guarantees is the sole burden of the State, and there is no avenue by which people can ensure redress for what are daily violations,” he said.
“Using the mirage of digital governance, the Rules clearly demonstrate that the rights will remain on paper/in the cloud. Today while millions of workers are not able to record their attendance through NMMS (National Mobile Monitoring System), are not able to receive their wages due to Aadhaar-Based Payment System (ABPS), even grievances are now going to be placed in the digital domain without accountability,” Ramesh said in his long post.
The VB-G RAM G Act came into force across the country from July 1, replacing the two-decade-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) introduced by the Congress-led UPA.
(PTI News)
