Parliament Clears New Rural Jobs Law, Opposition Warns of Setback to Workers’ Rights
Lok Sabha passes a new rural jobs bill, replacing the old employment guarantee scheme, as opposition parties warn of risks to workers and welfare rights.
The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed legislation to replace the long-running rural employment guarantee programme with a new scheme promising up to 125 days of work. The government presented the move as a reform aimed at improving efficiency and accountability, but the decision sparked strong resistance from opposition parties, who called it a dilution of hard-won labour protections.
Under the new framework, funding responsibilities will be shared differently between the Centre and states, while technology-driven monitoring and flexible work schedules have been introduced. Ministers argued these changes would ensure faster payments and create durable public assets. Critics, however, said the revised structure risks shifting financial pressure onto states and weakening the safety net for the rural poor.
Opposition members protested inside and outside Parliament, accusing the government of dismantling a rights-based welfare law and replacing it with a scheme that could be paused during crucial periods. The bill will now be taken up in the Rajya Sabha, where further confrontation is expected.
Rural employment programmes are often the last line of support during economic stress. Any transition, experts argue, needs strong safeguards to ensure that technology and cost-sharing do not reduce access for vulnerable households. How states implement the new law will determine whether it truly expands opportunity or quietly narrows it.