Page 27 - NIS English 1-15 July, 2026

VB G-Ram-G | NATION

Key highlights of the ‘Viksit Bharat-G Ram G’ initiative...

n Under the new law, the wage employment of water bodies, plantation, canals, flood waterways,
guarantee for rural households, as compared construction of subsurface dams, ponds, and wells, as
to MGNREGA, has been increased from 100 well as the improvement of community waterlogged
days to 125 days per financial year. lands.

n The existing MGNREGA framework has been n Works related to core rural infrastructure will be
replaced through comprehensive statutory carried out, covering sectors such as education,
amendments, strengthening accountability, health, drinking water, sanitation, renewable energy,
infrastructure outcomes, and income security. and community facilities.
n The Gram Sabha will monitor all works n Livelihood-related infrastructure works will
undertaken under this Act; the Gram encompass agriculture, livestock, fisheries, skill
Panchayat will provide all relevant documents development, and enterprise development. Activities
for this purpose. include rural haats, weekly markets, food and
agricultural storage, expanding nursery cultivation,
n Work will be provided within a stipulated and the production of building materials.
timeframe; failure to do so will entitle workers
to an unemployment allowance. n Monitoring will be conducted using biometric
authentication, geo-referencing, satellite imagery, and
n Wages will be paid directly into workers' digital mapping of works. A mobile app featuring a
accounts via DBT, either weekly or within 15 dashboard-based monitoring system will be used to
days of the closure of the muster roll. track demand, work execution, labor deployment,
n Workers will be eligible for delay compensation and overall progress in real-time.
in accordance with the Act's provisions if
wages are not paid on time.
n Existing e-KYC verified MGNREGA
job cards will remain valid under
'Viksit Bharat-G Ram G' until the new rural
employment guarantee cards are issued.
n No worker will be denied employment solely
due to pending e-KYC verification.
n In the current financial year, an amount
exceeding ₹1,51,282 crore will be spent
on employment under the new law, with
a provision of ₹95,692 crore made in the
2026-27 budget for the central share. This
represents the largest-ever allocation for rural
employment at the budget estimate stage.
n Water security and water-related works will be
undertaken, including irrigation, rejuvenation

a modern, accountable, and infrastructure-centric tioning Gram Panchayats as the central pillars of rural
framework. VB-G-RAM-G will expand guaranteed transformation, this legislation will serve as a signifi-
employment in rural India and align national develop- cant milestone in building a strong, prosperous, and
ment priorities with operational tasks by integrating a developed rural India. This new rural employment
robust digital governance system. It will impart fresh guarantee will act as a driving force, helping to realize
momentum to rural employment generation, rural the dream of a developed rural India as part of the
development, and self-reliance in villages. By posi- vision for a developed India by 2047.

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