Kolkata: The Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government on Saturday officially renamed the state’s 100-day employment scheme, ‘Karmashree’, to ‘Mahatmashree’ in honour of Mahatma Gandhi.
The move comes in response to the Centre’s decision to replace the MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) with the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill.
“The renaming not only preserves the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi but also aligns our state programme with the spirit of public welfare,” a senior state official was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had, on December 18, 2025, slammed the Union Government’s move to replace the MGNREGA and said that her government would rename the state’s rural job guarantee scheme after Mahatma Gandhi.
“We started the Karmashree scheme, but Gandhi ji’s name was not included. I’m really sorry, I’m ashamed. The father of the nation’s name should have been there, just like in the MGNREGA program. In the new bill, Gandhi ji’s name won’t be there. So, Karmashree’s name will be changed to Mahatma ji’s scheme. If the Centre does not give respect to Mahatma ji, we will,” Banerjee said at a business event in Kolkata.
Both Houses of Parliament passed the VB-G RAM G Bill on Thursday, the concluding day of Parliament’s winter session.
Amid the opposition’s protests against the replacement of 20-year-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G), the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab on Friday announced it would convene a special session of Punjab assembly on the issue in the second week of January.
