Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: A guaranteed increase in employment days from 100 to 125 for rural households is among the highlights of a Bill proposed to repeal the 20-year-old MGNREGA that is struggling to address the realities of a transformed rural India, said an official on December 15. The Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025, proposed to be introduced in the Lok Sabha, is armed with AI-based fraud detection and has provisions for stronger social audits – twice a year for every Gram Panchayat – that promise to enhance transparency.
Apart from generating rural jobs, the proposed legislation may also benefit farmers directly through both labour availability and better agricultural infrastructure, said the Rural Development Ministry official. The VB-G RAM G Bill aims to fix structural weaknesses, enhance employment and ensure coordination in the creation of assets for national development, according to a copy of the Bill which was listed in the supplementary list of businesses issued on Monday.
The Bill represents a major upgrade over MGNREGA, fixing structural weaknesses and establishing a modern statutory framework aligned with Viksit Bharat 2047, guaranteeing 125 days of wage employment per rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work, said an official.
The Bill aims to create both employment and durable rural infrastructure through four priority verticals: Water security through water-related works; core rural infrastructure; livelihood-related infrastructure, and Special works to mitigate extreme weather events.