Soon after the Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha, Derek O’Brian announced the West Bengal government’s decision in the House. (PTI Photo)
Following Parliament’s passage of the Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) or VB—G RAM G, after a sharp debate over dropping ‘Mahatma Gandhi’ from the Centre’s rural employment scheme, the Trinamool Congress has announced that the West Bengal government has renamed its Karmashree Scheme as ‘Mahatma-Shree’.
Announcing the move, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brian Saturday said the decision was taken in response to the changes made by the Modi-led government at the Centre.
“On the day the name of the Mahatma was removed by the Modi-led coalition, the Chief Minister of Bengal gave a new name to her State’s Karmashree Scheme, that provides employment to job card holders. New name: Mahatma-Shree,” O’Brian wrote on X.
Without naming anyone, the TMC MP added, “HE wants to keep humiliating the Mahatma. SHE wants to keep showering the Mahatma with respect,” and shared the state government notification related to the amendment in the scheme’s name.
The Karmashree was rolled out by the state in 2024 to provide employment to rural unskilled workers in West Bengal registered under the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS through job cards.
Under the amended scheme, each job card holder household will be provided one hundred days of wage employment in a financial year (previously 75 days) “through various works implemented by different departments of the state government,” the notification read.
HE wants to keep humiliating the Mahatma.
SHE wants to keep showering the Mahatma with respect. https://t.co/dQEXMElPLV pic.twitter.com/tBK2Fl3bya
— Derek O’Brien | ডেরেক ও’ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) December 20, 2025
On Thursday, the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill (G RAM G Bill) was passed, replacing the previous Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme.
The BJP-led Centre’s decision to omit the name of Mahatma Gandhi from the scheme was met with heavy criticism from members of the Opposition.
Soon after the Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha, Derek O’Brien announced the state government’s decision in the Upper House. According to the image shared by O’Brien, the notification was issued on December 19 (Friday).