The West Bengal government on Friday officially renamed its rural job guarantee scheme, Karmashree, as “Mahatma Shree”, amid a dispute with the Union government over its decision to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act with a new legislation.
The Union government this week introduced the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee For Rozgar And Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, which seeks to replace MGNREGA.
The @narendramodi government may want to erase Mahatma Gandhi’s memory and the Sangh Parivar may prefer Nathuram Godse over Gandhiji. But the @MamataOfficial government in Bengal will ensure that Bapu and his legacy are never forgotten. The newly re-named ‘Mahatma Shree’ scheme… pic.twitter.com/XMcRm9lJbQ
— Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) December 20, 2025
Introduced in 2005 by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance, MGNREGA guarantees 100 days of unskilled work each year to rural households across the country to enhance livelihood security. While the Centre bears wage costs under the scheme, states share expenses related to materials and administration.
The new bill proposes increasing guaranteed workdays from 100 to 125 while raising states’ share of costs to 40%.
Despite protests by Opposition parties, the legislation, introduced in Parliament on Tuesday, was passed by both Houses on Thursday, a day before the Winter Session ended.
West Bengal launched the Karmashree scheme in 2024 to provide at least 50 days of employment per financial...
