TIRUPATI: In a defining milestone for rural development, Union Minister for Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan launched the prestigious Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-GRAM G) scheme from Mukkavaripalli village in Railway Koduru constituency on Thursday.
The pan-India rollout marks a massive federal initiative to transform rural infrastructure and generate sustainable livelihoods. To mark the launch, the dignitaries initiated three foundational community projects at Mukkavaripalli, including a rainwater conservation pond, and a magic drain system, and distributed the initial VB-GRAM G job cards to local beneficiaries, while Union Ministers of State for Rural Development Pemmasani Chandrasekhar and Kamlesh Paswan unveiled the mission’s official promotional anthem.
Chouhan said the Centre’s massive funding injection under VB-GRAM G is designed to completely uplift India’s villages by granting autonomy to local Gram Sabhas to execute their own development models.
Naidu flays YSRCP for ‘crippling’ 93 schemes sponsored by Centre
The Union Minister announced an immediate release of Rs 7,700 crore as the Centre’s share to Andhra Pradesh for the current fiscal year. He formally handed over a Rs 422-crore fund sanction document to the State, which includes the approval of 74,212 permanent houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), and extensive connectivity works under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).
Addressing local agricultural requirements, Chouhan also announced that the Centre will step in to procure 2,16,250 metric tonnes of Totapuri mangoes under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS), reinforcing that the Union Government stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the State leadership.
Naidu highlighted the historical symmetry of the venue, noting that the pan-India rollout of VB-GRAM G commenced from Rayalaseema’s Railway Koduru, echoing the regional launch of the erstwhile MGNREGA.
He announced that under the leadership of Deputy CM, a total pool of over Rs 12,845 crore, comprising Rs 7,700 crore Central allocation and matching State funds, will be deployed to completely overhaul rural infrastructure, marking the third-largest budgetary outlay under the new scheme across India.
Naidu slammed the opposition YSRCP for crippling 93 Centrally sponsored schemes, including the Jal Jeevan Mission, during its tenure, and dismissed their capital corridor rhetoric. He asserted that stopping the development of Amaravati is impossible, promised the completion of the Polavaram project before Godavari Pushkarams next year, and outlined Rayalaseema’s economic revival through a specialised horticulture hub in Madanapalle alongside upcoming automobile, aerospace, and data centre projects.
Pawan Kalyan emphasised that the true future of India lies in prosperous, self-reliant villages, expressing gratitude to Chouhan for hosting this national launch in Andhra Pradesh. He highlighted a dramatic turnaround in the State’s rural governance metrics, revealing that in the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA), Andhra Pradesh jumped from the 24th position under the previous regime to the first rank in India, alongside winning the second spot in the 2025 National Panchayat Awards. Under the revamped VB-GRAM G mandate, guaranteed employment per household has been raised from 100 to 125 days per year to boost rural purchasing power. Crucially, the scheme incorporates a strategic 60-day agricultural recess during peak cropping seasons to protect farmers from labour shortages, focusing heavily on internal drainage, village connectivity, and a specific mandate to build 10,000 km of donka roads (agricultural approach paths) with 100% biometric transparency.