The Visakhapatnam Rally: Demands and Immediate Context

Visakhapatnam Rally and New Rural‑Job Act: Land Rights, Privatisation and Fiscal Shifts in Focus

A Dalitha Vimukthi rally on 2 July 2026 in Visakhapatnam demanded an end to privatisation, protection of reservations and the allocation of three acres of cultivable land to land‑less Dalit families. The same week the central government replaced the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act with the VB‑G RAM G Act, raising the statutory daily wage to ₹327.4 and altering the centre‑state funding split.

The protest began with floral tributes at the Dr B.R. Ambedkar statue near Daba Gardens, then moved along the RTC Complex and Asilmetta to the Mahatma Gandhi statue outside the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation office. Speakers alleged that thousands of acres of state land remain under illegal occupation, breaching the Land Ceiling Act. They also pointed out that the promised three‑acre allocation for landless Dalit families has not been implemented anywhere in Andhra Pradesh.

• ▸The rally was organised by Dalitha Vimukthi, a Dalit‑rights platform, on Thursday, 2 July 2026.
• ▸Participants marched from Daba Gardens to the GVMC office, stopping at the Mahatma Gandhi statue.
• ▸Speakers claimed illegal occupation of “thousands of acres” of land in violation of land‑ceiling limits.
• ▸The state government’s promise of three acres per landless Dalit family remains unfulfilled.
• ▸The protest also targeted the privatisation of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, alleging job losses for local youth.

The demonstrators called for the withdrawal of the 1950 Presidential Order that discriminates on religious grounds and for Scheduled Caste status for Dalit Christians. Their grievances echo long‑standing concerns that privatisation of public‑sector undertakings (PSUs) reduces employment opportunities while transferring public assets to private hands.

Land Reform Framework: Tenancy and Ceiling Acts

India’s land‑reform agenda rests on constitutional guarantees of property rights and social justice. Article 19(1)(c) protects the right to acquire, hold and dispose of property, while Article 31A shields land‑reform legislation from judicial review. The 42nd Amendment (1976) inserted Article 31A(2)(b) and Article 31B, and the 44th Amendment (1978) later repealed Article 31, leaving Article 19(1)(c) and Article 31A as the primary pillars.

• ▸Article 19(1)(c) enshrines the right to acquire, hold and dispose of property.
• ▸Article 31A provides protection to laws that pursue the redistribution of land.
• ▸The 42nd Amendment (1976) added Article 31A(2)(b) and Article 31B to the Constitution.
• ▸The 44th Amendment (1978) repealed Article 31, consolidating reliance on Article 19(1)(c).
• ▸State‑level tenancy and ceiling statutes vary, but all must respect the constitutional ceiling of 30 % of land for individuals in most states.

These provisions empower state legislatures to enact tenancy protection and ceiling limits, yet implementation has been uneven. Courts have repeatedly upheld the ceiling limits, but enforcement often stalls due to bureaucratic inertia and political resistance, as highlighted by the Visakhapatnam rally’s accusations of “illegal occupation”.

Fiscal Shift in Rural Employment: From MGNREGA to VB‑G RAM G

The new VB‑G RAM G Act took effect on Wednesday, replacing the two‑decade‑old MGNREGA. The statutory daily wage rose from ₹298 to ₹327.4, a 9.9 % increase. More strikingly, the funding formula now places a larger burden on states: a 90:10 centre‑state split for eleven states, and a 60:40 split for the remaining states. Under MGNREGA, the centre covered the entire wage bill and 75 % of material and administrative costs.

• ▸The daily wage under the new act is ₹327.4, up from ₹298 under MGNREGA.
• ▸Funding shares are 90:10 for eleven states and 60:40 for the others.
• ▸Previously, the centre paid 100 % of wages and 75 % of material/administrative costs.
• ▸