Rural Policy Clash: The Future of India's Countryside

In a heated session in the Rajya Sabha, opposition members fiercely criticized the government’s handling of rural issues. Rising LPG prices, massive rural unemployment, and the shift from MGNREGA to the controversial VB-G RAM G scheme were highlighted as critical concerns.

CPI(M) MP, V Sivadasan, described how policy shifts encourage migration from villages to cities, where living conditions for migrants are poor. Meanwhile, IUML member Haris Beeran questioned if the budget allocations for infrastructure and employment were sufficient.

Responding on behalf of the government, BJP member Sadanand Mhalu Shet Tanavade argued that increased funding for rural development reflects a commitment to prosperity, citing initiatives like Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and the new VB-G RAM G Act, designed to link employment with skill development.