NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) on Saturday reviewed the readiness of states and union territories to initiate the Viksit Bharat – Mission Rozgar and Ajeevika (Gramin) Guarantee Act 2025 (VB-G RAM G), which will replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) from July 1, officials familiar with the developments said.
The new law increases the legal guarantee of wage employment for rural families from 100 days to 125 days per fiscal year. Unlike MGNREGS, which was demand-driven, the new framework stipulates state-level benchmark allocations determined annually by the Centre.
The high-level meeting, chaired by MoRD Secretary Rohit Kansal, was attended by senior ministry officials and representatives of states and union territories, officials said.
Kansal reviewed key preparatory measures, including notification of state VB-GRAM G schemes, framing of state rules under the Act, technical integration of DBT-SPARSH and SNA-SPARSH payment systems, and preparation of works through Yuktdhara portal approved by Gram Sabhas through participatory planning.
To ensure continuity during the transitional period, the Ministry approved $Rs 26,971 crore under MGNREGS towards administrative and social audit components of wages and materials.
An adequate work budget for June 2026, covering over Rs 45 lakh man-days, has also been approved for all states and union territories based on expected demand.
The Ministry informed States that eight sets of draft rules under the VB-GRAM G Act 2025 were published in the e-Gazette on May 22 for a 30-day public consultation before finalization.
These include rules related to filing grievances, paying wages and unemployment benefits, administrative expenses and transitional provisions.
A guiding framework for classification of gram panchayats into A, B and C levels has also been shared with states to aid in planning.
“The ongoing MGNREGS work will be implemented from June 30 under the VB-GRAM G framework,” Kansal said, ensuring that rural employment work continues uninterrupted during the agricultural lean season.
The states were also advised to respect the real employment demand and clear pending liabilities under MGNREGS before the new scheme comes into effect on July 1.
