HYDERABAD: The state Cabinet, after a lengthy discussion, approved Telangana joining the VB-G RAM G scheme while emphasising that the state would take legal recourse to protect its rights under the scheme, including approaching the Supreme Court and opposing it in Parliament.
The Cabinet, which met here on Thursday under the chairmanship of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, maintained that the scheme was introduced without consulting the states, against the federal spirit. However, noting that all other states were implementing it, the Cabinet felt there was no alternative and decided to issue a notification to bring the new law into force in the state from July 1, 2026.
The Cabinet also cleared the extension of the midday meal scheme to teachers, lecturers and non-teaching staff, in addition to students.
Briefing reporters, ministers Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, Dansari Anasuya and Adluri Laxman said the Cabinet opposed the unilateral renaming and restructuring of MGNREGS as Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar & Aajeevika Mission (Gramin).
Srinivasa Reddy said the state had adopted an Assembly resolution opposing the nomenclature and sent it to the Centre. A Cabinet sub-committee, constituted to study the response of other states, submitted its report on Thursday.
“The Cabinet discussed the report and decided to join the VB-G RAM G scheme as there is no other option,” he said, adding that the government would pursue legal remedies to safeguard the state’s interests.
Earlier in the day, Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the VB-G RAM G scheme in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. He said the Centre would contribute more than Rs 95,000 crore in the first year and, with the states’ 40% share, the total annual outlay would be around Rs 1.51 lakh crore.