KADAPA: The Union Government’s new rural employment programme, Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Grameen) (VB-G Ram G) will officially replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) from July 1.
The scheme will be launched at Mukkavaripalle village in Obulavaripalle mandal of Railway Kodur constituency in the erstwhile Kadapa district on July 2 in the presence of Union Minister for Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, and Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan.
Interestingly, Andhra Pradesh is once again hosting the launch of a landmark rural employment programme. MGNREGS was inaugurated on February 2, 2006, at Bandlapalli village in Anantapur district by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Union Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, and the late Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy.
Although different political parties are in power at the Centre and in the State now, Andhra Pradesh has once again been chosen as the launch venue for the revamped rural employment programme.
The new VB-G Ram G scheme to replace MGNREGS scheme has been introduced with the objective of strengthening rural livelihoods while preventing distress migration by creating employment opportunities within villages.
Unlike MGNREGS, which guaranteed up to 100 days of wage employment per family annually, the new legislation increases the limit to 125 days, providing an additional 25 days of assured employment to rural households.
Under the scheme, wages will be paid on a weekly basis, and employment must be provided within 15 days of a worker seeking work. If employment is not provided within the stipulated period, eligible workers will receive an unemployment allowance. The scheme mandates transparency in wage payments.
Face-recognition-based attendance through mobile applications, already implemented under MGNREGS to curb irregularities, will continu e under t h e new programme.
To ensure that agricultural operations are not affected by labour shortages during peak farming seasons, the employment programme will observe a 60-day crop holiday between July and March, coinciding with periods of intensive agricultural activity such as sowing and harvesting. The rural employment programme has played a major role in creating durable community assets across the district.
However, the funding pattern under the new scheme has undergone a significant change. While MGNREGS was funded with 90 per cent Central assistance and 10% State contribution, the VB-G Ram G scheme to replace MGNREGS scheme will now be financed in a 60:40 ratio, with the Centre contributing 60 per cent and the State bearing 40 per cent of the expenditure, increasing the financial burden on the State Government.
