Goa, Dec. 18 -- The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill amid repeated disruptions by opposition members, forcing the House to be adjourned following a ruckus. The legislation replaces the two-decade-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and provides a statutory assurance of 125 days of wage employment per financial year for rural households undertaking unskilled manual work. Introducing the Bill, Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said it aimed to create self-reliant, poverty-free villages. Opposition parties criticised the repeal, accusing the government of undermining Mahatma Gandhi's legacy.

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