NEW DELHI, July 2: Declaring that “no hand should remain without work,” Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday launched the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G), saying the new scheme marks a shift from the 100-day employment guarantee under MGNREGA by assuring 125 days of work with legal safeguards for rural labourers.
Launching the nationwide programme from Mukkavaripalli village in Andhra Pradesh alongside Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, Chouhan said the initiative reflects Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resolve that “every hand should have work and every stomach should have food.”
“Moving beyond MGNREGA, the VB-G RAM G Yojana provides a firm guarantee of 125 days of employment. This is not merely an increase in workdays but a change in thinking to ensure that no hand remains without work,” the minister said.
Chouhan said the scheme legally guarantees employment within 15 days of a worker demanding it, failing which unemployment allowance will be paid. It also provides for payment of interest if wages are delayed, ensuring labourers receive the full value of their work.
He said the Centre will contribute over Rs 95,000 crore towards the scheme in its first year, with the combined expenditure of the Centre and states expected to touch Rs 1.51 lakh crore. The government aims to spend Rs 7.5 lakh crore over the next five years to generate rural employment and create durable community assets.
The minister also announced that wages under the scheme will not be less than Rs 300 per day in any state. He said administrative expenditure has been increased from six to nine per cent to strengthen implementation and ensure timely payment of salaries to field-level functionaries.
Emphasising decentralised planning, Chouhan said decisions on development works would be taken by Gram Sabhas and Gram Panchayats rather than by governments in Delhi or state capitals, allowing villages to determine their own priorities.
During the programme, the Centre also announced 74,212 houses for Andhra Pradesh under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin and sanctioned 146 roads and 19 bridges worth over Rs 422 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. Chouhan also announced procurement of Totapuri mangoes under the Market Intervention Scheme to support farmers affected by falling prices.
