Govt to Replace MGNREGA with VB-G RAM G Bill—125 Rural Work Days
Govt to Replace MGNREGA with VB-G RAM G Bill—125 Rural Work Days
New rural employment bill promises 125 days of work, shifts funding to the Centre, and sets up a framework for Viksit Bharat 2047.
The government is set to introduce the Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) VB-G RAM G Bill in the ongoing winter session of Parliament, replacing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
The bill proposes 125 days of unskilled wage employment per financial year for every rural household whose adult members volunteer to undertake such work, up from the current 100 days. It also fundamentally changes funding and decision-making, moving away from a largely demand-driven model to a fixed, centrally guided framework. The Centre would determine state-wise allocations for each year, using parameters it prescribes, and would notify which rural areas in a State will receive VB-G RAM G works.
Financially, the bill introduces a shared burden: states outside the Northeast, Himalayan states, and three Union Territories will bear 40% of the total expenditure, with the Centre maintaining greater control over how funds are spent. The scheme would be implemented as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, with regional fund-sharing patterns—90:10 for the North Eastern States, Himalayan States and certain UTs, and 60:40 for other states and UTs with legislatures.
Other notes circulating around the bill point to a potential renaming of MGNREGA to a new title, and a broader aim to align rural development with the national vision of Viksit Bharat @2047, focusing on water security, core rural infrastructure, livelihoods, and resilience to extreme weather events. While the government portrays the legislation as a modernization of rural employment, critics argue it shifts financial responsibility to states and reduces the entitlements that defined MGNREGA.
As the winter session unfolds, the bill is expected to trigger a wide political discussion about the future of rural employment, central-state fiscal arrangements, and the mechanics of rollout across diverse Indian states.
Cover image source: Government likely to bring Bill to repeal MGNREGA, bring new rural employment law 🔗
