Punjab govt rolls out VB-G RAM G to strengthen rural employment guarantee
The Minister said that while MGNREGA remained operational till June 30, 2026, the VB G RAM G scheme came into effect from July 1.
The Minister said that while MGNREGA remained operational till June 30, 2026, the VB G RAM G scheme came into effect from July 1.
A major change in the rural employment system has come into effect across Uttar Pradesh and the rest of the country with the Government of India officially replacing the MGNREGA with the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Gramin (VB-G RAM G) Act.
The Jharkhand government urged the Centre to release around Rs 900 crore pending under the material component of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and raise the daily wage rate for workers to Rs 433, flagging the impact of delayed payments and rising rural distress.
The Congress on Monday intensified its attack on the Centre over the proposed rollout of the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025, accusing the Narendra Modi government of attempting to centralise authority and dilute the legal protections available to rural workers under MGNREGA.
Jharkhand on Saturday raised concerns over pending MGNREGA dues, low wage rates and the proposed funding pattern under the Centre’s new rural scheme during a virtual meeting chaired by Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
The rights groups, united under the banner of the NREGA Sangharsh Morcha, stated that the proposed legislation is not a reform but a rollback of democratic and constitutional guarantees won by workers through decades of sustained struggle.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Monday strongly opposed the Union government's move to introduce the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025 (VB-GRAMG Bill), which seeks to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
The bills presented include the Repealing and Amending Bill, 2025; the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025; and the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Bill, 2025.
The Central government is set to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA) with a new rural jobs law.
MGNREGA, one of the world’s largest social security programmes, currently spans 2.69 lakh Gram Panchayats and has over 26 crore registered workers.
