VB-G RAM G hurdles remain ahead of rollout

India's upcoming Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 (VB-G RAM G), set to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) from July 1, is encountering significant challenges. These include a substantial backlog of unfinished public works under the current scheme and resistance from several state governments.

The launch, initially planned for April 1, was postponed due to an unprepared portal and technical infrastructure. States and district administrations have been given until June 30 to complete all pending MGNREGA works. The new law aims to guarantee 125 days of statutory wage employment for rural households, with 19 states having officially notified the scheme so far.

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Pending works would be completed by June 30 and new categories would continue under VB-G RAM G.

In Rajasthan's Dungarpur district alone, over 5,700 MGNREGA works remain incomplete, with backlogs reported in every block. District data contradicts assurances from officials that pending works would be finished by the deadline. Ministry of Rural Development officials have acknowledged that various community projects have remained unfinished for years across panchayats.

Concerns have been raised by opposition parties, with Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh stating that the new law primarily offers "extreme centralization" and a weakening of rural labor's bargaining power. This indicates a potential conflict between central government objectives and state-level implementation realities, alongside political opposition to the reform.

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extreme centralisation and weakening of the bargaining power of rural labour