Andhra Pradesh Launch: The Viksit Bharat - G-Ram G Act
The nationwide rollout of the Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) [VB-G RAM G] Act, 2025 formally launched on July 2, 2026, from Mukkavaripalli Village in the Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh. Enacted by the Union Government to replace the two-decade-old UPA-era Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005, the new statutory framework legally came into force across rural India on July 1, 2026.The national launch event was led by Union Minister for Rural Development and Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, alongside Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Shri N. Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Shri Konidela Pawan Kalyan, and other key dignitaries.
Key Features of the VB-G RAM G Act:
The revised act shifts India's primary rural employment program from a pure social welfare initiative to a strategic asset-creation mechanism aligned with the Viksit Bharat @2047 vision:
- 125-Day Job Guarantee: The legally mandated employment days per rural household increased from 100 days to 125 days per financial year.
- Unemployment Allowance: If the government fails to provide requested unskilled work within 15 days of application, workers are entitled to a mandatory unemployment allowance.
- Agricultural Season Pause: A collective 60-day pause is built into the scheme during peak sowing and harvesting seasons to ensure that regular farm labour remains available to landowners.
- New Funding Model: Departing from the previous system where the Centre covered 100% of the wage bill, a 60:40 fund-sharing ratio is introduced between the Centre and States (the Centre pays 90% for Northeast/Himalayan states and 100% for UTs without a legislature).
- Durable Asset Creation: Funds are heavily prioritized toward long-term village infrastructure including water conservation, irrigation, climate resilience, and road connectivity.
- Decentralised Governance: Gram Sabhas and Gram Panchayats hold the authority to approve and execute village-level infrastructure development.
- Digital Transparency: Accountability is reinforced via tech-enabled monitoring, e-KYC verification, and Face Authentication. Existing e-KYC verified job cards remain valid until new Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Cards are fully distributed.
Special Allocations and Perks for Andhra Pradesh:
Due to its stellar performance in rural development-climbing from 24th to 1st place in the national ranking under the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA)-Andhra Pradesh was chosen as the starting point for this nationwide transformation. The Union Government rolled out several specific packages during the Tirupati event:
- Financial Assistance: The Centre sanctioned a special amount of Rs.7,707 crore to Andhra Pradesh under the VB-G RAM G scheme for a nine-month period. Combined with state components, total rural development funds are expected to exceed Rs.10,000 to Rs.12,000 crore for the fiscal year.
- Higher Daily Wage: While the national baseline wage under the new Act is set at a minimum of Rs.300 per day, the daily wage in Andhra Pradesh is fixed higher, ranging between Rs.312 and Rs.315 per day.
- Housing & Infrastructure Boost: The Centre sanctioned over 70,000 houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and approved funding of Rs.422 crore for 146 rural roads and 19 bridges.
- Agricultural Relief: To support local farmers, the Centre committed to procuring 2,16,250 metric tonnes of Totapuri mangoes under the Market Intervention Scheme to guarantee fair prices.
