The Viksit Bharat — Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 is all set to come into effect tomorrow — on July 1. The Central government has assured that all the arrangements for the implementation have been made.
The Ministry of Rural Development said the Act provides a statutory guarantee of up to 125 days of wage employment to eligible rural households, compared to the 100 days provided under the existing rural employment framework. The ministry said an interim allocation of Rs 95,692.31 crore has been made to states and Union Territories to ensure a smooth transition, timely wage payments and uninterrupted implementation of works under the new framework.
Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the government's priority was to ensure that "no eligible rural worker remains without work even for a single day". He said the Centre and states had worked together to complete administrative, financial, and technical preparations for the rollout.
The government said existing e-KYC-verified job cards will remain valid until the new Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Cards are issued. The gram panchayats will continue to play a key role in the implementation of the scheme, with a focus on areas such as natural resource management, water conservation, agriculture and allied activities, rural infrastructure and women's empowerment, it added.
According to the ministry, 29 states and Union Territories have made budgetary provisions for the Act, while 24 states have notified their VB-G RAM G state schemes.
The rollout of the new law comes amid criticism from opposition parties and rural employment activists, who have raised concerns over changes in the existing rural employment guarantee framework. They have questioned whether the new system could affect the demand-driven nature of employment, the role of states and panchayats, and whether adequate financial resources would be available for implementation.
The government has maintained that the new framework will strengthen rural livelihood security, improve asset creation, and provide a more comprehensive approach to employment generation.
The national launch of the VB-G RAM G Act will be held on July 2 at Mukkavaripalli village in Obulavaripalle mandal of Andhra Pradesh's Tirupati district, according to the ministry. The event will include the distribution of Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Cards and the release of awareness material related to the mission.
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