Chandigarh, Dec 19 (NationPress) The Aam Aadmi Party administration in Punjab announced on Friday its plans to hold a special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha next month to oppose the Centre’s efforts to undermine the livelihoods of the impoverished by altering the MGNREGA scheme.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann stated, “The BJP-led government at the Centre is attempting to jeopardize the livelihoods of the underprivileged by modifying the MGNREGA scheme. A special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha will be convened in the second week of January to amplify the concerns of Punjabis against this injustice.”

Reports indicate that the decision to call this special Vidhan Sabha session was made by top leaders of the party, including AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, during a meeting on Thursday evening.

Kejriwal is currently on a three-day visit to the state. In the meantime, the previous special Vidhan Sabha session, held on November 24, was prorogued by the Governor on December 17.

The Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (VB-G RAM G) Bill was passed in Parliament amidst protests from Opposition MPs.

Earlier, upon the introduction of the Bill, the AAP had denounced it, labeling it a strategy by the Union government to dismantle the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and termed it a “well-orchestrated deception” aimed at undermining the rights, dignity, and livelihood security of rural workers.

AAP spokesperson Neel Garg claimed that the Modi administration has continually relied on “empty slogans and political theatrics to mislead the public while systematically eroding welfare guarantees designed for the poorest segments of society.”

“This is not just a change of name, nor is it merely about removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name. The core issue is that the Centre has effectively signaled the end of MGNREGA, attempting to obscure its anti-labour agenda behind contrived media debates and distractions,” he remarked.

Garg raised concerns about how rural workers would now secure employment. “Will a needy worker now have to seek employment from the Prime Minister? Even reaching the sarpanch has been challenging; this policy completely detaches employment from the grassroots level and centralizes authority in Delhi,” he added.

Additionally, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has voiced apprehension regarding the Union government's proposal to implement a 60:40 ratio between the Centre and states, viewing the introduction of a cost-sharing model as fundamentally unacceptable, as it undermines the core essence of the scheme and defeats its primary purpose of ensuring livelihood security through wage employment in rural areas.