Chandigarh: The Punjab Vidhan Sabha met in a specially convened session on Tuesday, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government placing the spotlight on recent changes affecting the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and their implications for the state.
During the session, the government is set to introduce a formal resolution urging that the issue be taken up with the Union government. Through the resolution, Punjab seeks the continuation of MGNREGA as a demand-driven, rights-based programme with full financial backing from the Centre. The state has also raised objections to provisions of the amended VB G RAM G Act, arguing that these shift a disproportionate financial burden onto states and weaken the statutory right to employment for rural workers.
Apart from the debate on MGNREGA, the government has lined up three legislative proposals for consideration in the House. These include the Punjab Abadi Deh (Record of Rights) Amendment Bill, the Indian Stamp (Punjab Second Amendment) Bill, and the Punjab Land Revenue (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
Political tempers are expected to run high during the proceedings. Legislators from the ruling AAP, along with members of the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal, are likely to mount a joint attack on the BJP over the changes to the rural employment law. In response, BJP members are expected to press for a detailed discussion on the state’s law and order situation.
Adding a human dimension to the debate, MLA Manwinder Singh Giaspura arrived at the Assembly carrying petitions submitted by rural labourers. According to Giaspura, the representations capture the growing distress among workers who fear that the employment guarantee scheme has been hollowed out. The petitioners, he said, are questioning how they will sustain their families if assured work under MGNREGA continues to shrink.
With sharp political exchanges anticipated and key policy issues on the table, the special session is expected to be closely watched both within and outside the state.
