New Delhi: Union Minister for Rural Development Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan today reviewed the implementation of the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (Gramin) [VB-G-RAM-G] through a video conference with Rural Development Ministers of all States and Union Territories. During the meeting, he released the first installment (Mother Sanction) of ₹25,863 crore to the States for implementation of the scheme.
Addressing the meeting, Shri Chouhan said that the Government had resolved to implement VB-G-RAM-G across the country without any disruption from July 1, 2026. He said he was happy to note that the scheme has been successfully rolled out across the country and that the transition from MGNREGA to VB-G-RAM-G has been smooth and seamless. So far, no technical or operational issues have been reported.
He said that serving poor workers is like serving God. The Government’s objective is to ensure dignified employment, timely wage payments and the creation of durable rural assets for rural workers. Shri Chouhan said that while MGNREGA took nearly three years to be implemented across the country, VB-G-RAM-G has been rolled out nationwide in a single day. He described this as a major achievement made possible by the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the cooperation of the States and the country’s administrative capacity. He said this reflects the Prime Minister’s commitment, good governance and effective coordination.
Reviewing the initial progress, the Minister said that work has started in a large number of Gram Panchayats during the first week and employment has been provided to lakhs of rural workers. He specially appreciated Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Rajasthan for generating a large number of employment opportunities on the very first day. He urged Odisha and West Bengal to start works in the remaining Gram Panchayats at the earliest and requested Jharkhand to notify the scheme and make the necessary budgetary provisions. States where RBI accounts or other formalities are still pending were also asked to complete them in a time-bound manner. He said that wage rates under VB-G-RAM-G have been increased by around 10 per cent on average. No state in the country will now have a wage rate below ₹300 per day. He said this reflects the Government’s commitment, under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, to strengthening the income and social security of rural workers.
