VB-G RAM G Act comes into force today, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan calls rollout ‘historic day’

ITANAGAR: Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday described the coming into force of the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 as a ‘historic day’, as the new rural employment and development framework officially replaced the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005, across the country from today.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that the new framework marks a significant upgrade over the earlier employment guarantee programme. Explaining the launch and expanded employment guarantee under the new scheme, he said, “Today is a historic day. Yesterday marked the conclusion of MGNREGA. A scheme superior to MGNREGA, which provides for 125 days of employment instead of 100, has come into effect today: VB-G RAM G.”

#WATCH | Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh | Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan says, “Today is a historic day. Yesterday marked the conclusion of MGNREGA. A scheme superior to MGNREGA, which provides for 125 days of employment instead of 100, has come into effect today: VB-G RAM G.… pic.twitter.com/h9py6Axn4N

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Underlining financial allocation and decentralised planning through Gram Panchayats, he added, “I am happy to state that all states have made budgetary provisions for it, and the Central government has allocated over Rs 95,600 crore for VB-G RAM G this year. Gram panchayats will formulate effective plans; the brothers and sisters of the village will collectively decide which works are to be undertaken in their village. Developed villages will be built to pave the way for a developed India”.

The Ministry of Rural Development, in a notification issued earlier, confirmed the nationwide implementation of the new law. With its enforcement, MGNREGA stands repealed, marking what the government termed a structural shift towards an “integrated, future-ready and productivity-oriented rural transformation” aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047. The Centre has allocated over Rs 95,600 crore for the scheme in the current financial year.

“With the coming into force of the VB-G RAM G Act, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005, stand repealed from the same date. This marks a historic transition in India’s rural development framework and ushers in a new era of integrated, future-ready and productivity-oriented rural transformation aligned with the national vision of Viksit Bharat @2047”, the release said.

The Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act was passed in the Winter Session of Parliament in 2025 and replaces the 100-day employment guarantee with a 125-day guarantee. However, the Opposition has criticised the legislation for removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the scheme and altering the 60:40 share of funds between the Centre and states. (ANI)