Centre notifies draft rules for VB-G RAM G rollout, reviews states' preparedness for July 1 transition

The Centre on Saturday notified draft rules under the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act, 2025, laying down the institutional and administrative framework for the rollout of the new rural-employment programme that will replace the MGNREGA from July 1, while simultaneously reviewing the states' preparedness for the transition.

Framed under section 33 and other relevant provisions of the Act, the draft rules have been placed in the public domain to facilitate wider consultation with states, institutions, experts, worker groups, civil-society organisations and the public.

The proposed rules cover transitional provisions, the National Level Steering Committee, the Central Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Council, administrative expenses, grievance redressal, payment of wages and unemployment allowance, expenditure beyond normative allocations and new rules on objective parameters for normative allocation.

Officials in the Ministry of Rural Development said the rules are aimed at establishing the institutional, financial and governance framework for the implementation of the Act across the country, while ensuring participatory consultation before finalisation.

The draft Transitional Provisions Rules spell out the framework for shifting from the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to VB-G RAM G, which was notified on May 11 and is scheduled to come into force across states and Union territories from July 1.

The rules provide for the continuation of ongoing works, settlement of liabilities, transfer of records and continuation of worker rights during the transition period. Existing e-KYC-verified MGNREGA job cards will remain temporarily valid until new Gramin Rozgar Guarantee cards are issued, while fresh works may also be opened if ongoing projects are insufficient to meet the labour demand.

The VB-G RAM G Act replaces the MGNREGA with what the government describes as a ''next-generation rural development framework'' aligned with the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.

The new law raises the annual employment guarantee from 100 to 125 days and seeks to link rural employment more closely with infrastructure creation, climate resilience and village-level planning through Viksit Gram Panchayat plans.

Alongside the notification of the draft rules, the ministry held a review meeting chaired by Rural Development Secretary Rohit Kansal with states and Union territories to assess the preparedness for the rollout.

According to the ministry, the states were asked to complete critical preparatory measures in a time-bound manner to ensure seamless operationalisation of the Act after July 1. These include notification of state VB-G RAM G schemes, formulation of state-specific rules, technical integration for DBT-SPARSH and SNA-SPARSH systems, and the preparation of an adequate shelf of works through the Yuktdhara portal approved by gram sabhas.

Kansal emphasised the need for close coordination between states, Union territories and technical teams, saying the transition to VB-G RAM G represents a major reform in the rural-employment-and-livelihood framework, requiring coordinated efforts at both central and state levels.

The ministry informed the states that an interim list of permissible works under VB-G RAM G has already been shared for feedback and that states could propose additional works based on local requirements for consideration under Schedule I of the Act. It also shared an indicative framework for categorising gram panchayats into A, B and C categories to support planning and implementation, while allowing the states flexibility to adopt the criteria suited to local needs.

The proposed framework envisages new oversight mechanisms. The National Level Steering Committee will provide strategic guidance on implementation, including normative allocations, convergence, monitoring systems and technology-enabled governance.

According to the draft rules, the committee will include representatives from the Ministry of Rural Development, NITI Aayog, central ministries, state governments and technical institutions.

The Central Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Council has also been proposed to support implementation, evaluation, monitoring and reporting under the Act, with the ministry saying the two bodies are intended to strengthen policy coordination, institutional oversight and participatory governance.

The draft Grievance Redressal Rules seek to establish a technology-enabled, multi-tier and time-bound system supported by digital public infrastructure, with provisions for registration, tracking, escalation and appeals.

The Administrative Expense Rules specify the expenditure to be borne by the Centre, shared with states or borne by states, including spending on staffing, training, ICT systems, monitoring, grievance redressal and social audits.

The draft rules retain direct benefit transfer as the mode for payment of wages and unemployment allowance. Employment must continue to be provided within 15 days of demand, failing which workers will be eligible for the unemployment allowance.

The ministry stressed that the MGNREGA would continue uninterrupted until July 1. It said an adequate labour budget of more than 45 crore person days has been approved for June and ''mother sanctions'' worth Rs 26,971 crore have been issued under the MGNREGA towards the wage, material, administrative and social-audit components to ensure an uninterrupted fund flow and implementation of works during the transition. Ongoing works as on June 30 will be transitioned into the new framework.

Officials said objections and suggestions on the draft rules may be submitted till June 21, after which the feedback received during the consultation process will be considered before finalisation.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)