‘VB-GRAM G’s 60:40 funding pattern will burden states’: Minister Eshwar Khandre

NEW DELHI: Rural Development Minister Eshwar Khandre said the state government is fully prepared to implement the Centre’s newly launched Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act (VB-GRAM G) scheme, which came into effect on July 1, but expressed concern that its revised funding pattern would impose a significant financial burden on states compared to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

Khandre said that while the Centre earlier bore 90 per cent of the wage costs under MGNREGA, the revised funding pattern under VB-GRAM G would increase the financial responsibility of state governments.

“Under MGNREGA, the central government bore 90 per cent of the wage costs, while the state government contributed 10 per cent. But the BJP government at the Centre has now replaced MGNREGA with VB-GRAM G. Under this new VB-GRAM G scheme, the funding pattern is a 60:40 ratio, which will place a very huge financial burden on the states”, he added.

#WATCH | Delhi: On the VB-G RAM G rollout in Karnataka, Karnataka Minister Eshwar Khandre says, “…The national-level conferences—one was organised by Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan on the 29th of this month—were mainly regarding VB-G RAM G. So, a lot of discussions took place in the… pic.twitter.com/hODzsE3d4r

— ANI (@ANI) July 3, 2026

Khandre said Karnataka had made all necessary preparations for the rollout of the scheme. “The national-level conferences — one was organised by Shivraj Singh Chouhan on the 29th of last month — were mainly regarding VB-GRAM G. So, a lot of discussions took place in the meeting. And I would like to make it clear to all the people that the Karnataka government has made all arrangements to implement the new version of MGNREGA, which is VB-GRAM G. This is because MGNREGA was originally implemented by the UPA government under the leadership of Shrimati Sonia Gandhi ji to give on-the-spot employment to all rural unemployed youths so that they should not migrate to other districts or other states. That program was implemented successfully for the last 20 years,” he said.

Meanwhile, Khandre further rejected Union Minister of State Shobha Karandlaje’s allegations that the Karnataka State Election Commission (KSEC) was conducting a “parallel” Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to “please Rahul Gandhi,” asserting that the state government’s only objective was to ensure that no eligible voter is deprived of the right to vote.

#WATCH | Delhi: On Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje’s statement, Karnataka Minister Eshwar Khandre says, “This is a totally false allegation by the BJP ministers, specifically the Central Government ministers from Karnataka. Everyone knows—the whole country knows—that all… pic.twitter.com/JPjklPh7XQ

— ANI (@ANI) July 3, 2026

Responding to the allegations, Khandre accused the BJP of misusing constitutional institutions. “This is a totally false allegation by the BJP ministers, specifically the Central Government ministers from Karnataka. Everyone knows–the whole country knows–that all statutory and constitutional institutions are being misused by the BJP. Whether it is the Election Commission, the CBI, or the Income Tax Department, under these circumstances, how can they say that the state government is interfering?” he said.

Khandre further questioned the need for preparing an entirely new voter list. “What we, the state government, have said is that nobody should be deprived of their vote. Voting is everyone’s right; there is a democratic process. Now, for the first time since independence, a new voter list is being prepared. What was the necessity of preparing an entirely new voter list? Everyone has to enrol their name, and everyone has to sign the enrolment form. Did they ever do this in the last 80 years?” he added. (ANI)