A new Dawn in the lives of workers – Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Marking a major milestone in the history of India’s rural development, the Central Government today-May 11, 2026-issued a notification for the implementation of the ‘Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission (Rural)’, also known as the VB–G RAM G Act. This Act is set to come into force across the entire country starting July 1, 2026. Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan stated that this legislation will pave the way for renewed hope, enhanced income security, and large-scale sustainable development initiatives in villages for the rural poor, labourers families, women, self-help groups, and farmers.

Speaking to the media in Bhopal today, Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced that the notification for the “Viksit Bharat G-RAM G Act’ has been issued. He further informed that, effective July 1, labourers in rural areas seeking employment will now be provided with 125 days of work per year-an increase from the previous provision of 100 days. He added that during this interim period, all provisions of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) will remain in force, and any pending works will be completed under the MGNREGA framework prior to July 1. He also noted that the process of formulating the rules for the new Act is currently underway, following extensive consultations with the states. However, the government remains committed to ensure that no labourer is deprived of employment during this transition phase. Comprehensive arrangements have already been put in place to guarantee this.

Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan stated that, under the ‘Viksit Bharat G-Ram G’ initiative, most states will have a maximum of six months to complete the necessary preparations. He clarified that if any state fails to complete the requisite preparations by July 1^St, the funding pattern for works undertaken after July 1st will be governed by the ‘Viksit Bharat G-Ram G’ scheme.

Shri Shivraj Singh noted that, under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Government of India has allocated over ₹95,000 crore in its budget to generate employment through this scheme. He added that the states have also made provisions in their respective budgets for its implementation, and the combined allocation from both the Centre and the states will exceed ₹1,51,000 crore.

Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh stated that payments to labourers will be made via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) into their bank or post office accounts. While the aim will be to process payments within three days, the objective is to ensure that all procedures are completed and the funds reach their accounts within a maximum of 15 days. He further stated that if the funds are not received within 15 days, labourers will be entitled to delayed payment compensation, and an additional amount will have to be paid in cases of delayed disbursement.

Shri Shivraj Singh stated that if employment is not provided upon request, an unemployment allowance must also be paid. Describing this as a comprehensive scheme designed for the welfare of labourers, he noted that infrastructure development works in villages would be undertaken on a massive scale, backed by an annual allocation exceeding ₹151,000 crore.

He further stated that this initiative would facilitate essential works such as water conservation, rural infrastructure development, roads, bridges, culverts, schools, and Anganwadi buildings. Under the ambit of livelihood-generating activities, infrastructure facilities-such as working sheds for women members of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs)-could also be constructed. Furthermore, to mitigate the impact of natural disasters, works such as the construction of retaining walls in riverside villages or waterlogged areas could also be undertaken as part of this scheme. He added that to ensure adequate and timely wage payments to the workers engaged under this scheme, the administrative expenditure allocation has been increased from 6 percent to 9 percent.

Union Minister Shri Chouhan expressed confidence that this marks the dawn of a new era in the lives of laborers, and that this scheme will prove to be a milestone in fulfilling the resolve to build “developed villages” as a foundation for a “Developed India.”