With 11% jump, rural jobs scheme gets its highest ever allocation

The Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeev-ika Mission (Gramin) or VB-G RAM G will be rolled out with a total central allocation of ₹95,692.31 crore, an 11% increase over the last year’s budget estimate of ₹86,000 crore for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).

- Saubhadra Chatterji

Passed by Parliament, the VB-G RAM G scheme expands the statutory guarantee of wage employment from 100 days to 125 days per financial year, replacing the flagship rural jobs scheme of the previous United Progressive Alliance government. Under the new framework, the financial liability is shared between the Centre and the states in a 90:10 proportion for northeastern and Himalayan regions, and 60:40 for other states and Union territories with a legislature. A key change is that any additional expenditure—previously borne by the Centre under the demand-driven MGNREGS—is now the responsibility of state governments.