Viksit Bharat G Ram G Act to be a game-changer for rural development: CM Yogi

Lucknow, January 6 : Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday described the Viksit Bharat G Ram G Act, 2025, as a historic step towards transforming rural India, taken under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Highlighting its key features, he stated that the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission (Rural) Act, 2025, has been enacted to strengthen permanent rural infrastructure and expand employment opportunities, serving as a milestone in the nation’s rural development journey.

Speaking to reporters at Lok Bhawan, the Chief Minister said, “Those who had plundered the country’s resources for decades, pushing the poor into hunger and forcing youth into unemployment and migration, are now hesitant to support transparent reforms.”

He added, “Uttar Pradesh stands to gain the most from the Act, which will be implemented in the state with a renewed and stronger guarantee of employment.”

He said, “Such reforms would invite public scrutiny over why these steps were not taken when those parties were in power.”

Criticising the Congress and the Indi alliance for questioning the Act, CM Yogi said a reform aimed at the welfare of workers, farmers, and villages should have been welcomed. Instead, they are attempting to justify an outdated, corruption-ridden system.

CM Yogi said, “The essence of the VB–G Ram G Act, 2025 lies in transparency, an enhanced employment guarantee, and the creation of durable assets in rural areas.”

The Act, he said, will lay a strong foundation for the vision of Viksit Bharat–2047. Emphasising that national progress depends on the development of states, and state development hinges on the prosperity of villages, he said strengthening the rural economy will make farmers self-reliant and ensure dignity, security, and social protection for labourers.

The Chief Minister said, “The new act was essential due to serious shortcomings in MGNREGA.” He pointed out that the scheme led to the creation of incomplete and temporary assets, along with widespread complaints of fake job cards, bogus attendance, and payment deductions across districts.

He recalled that a major MGNREGA scam during the Samajwadi Party’s tenure had to be probed by the CBI. Weak social audits, flawed grievance redressal mechanisms, administrative lapses, and delays in wage payments persisted, leaving farmers short of labour during peak seasons and workers without assured, timely employment or wages.

CM Yogi explained that the new Act increases the employment guarantee from 100 to 125 days. Payments will be made weekly, with provisions for compensation and additional interest in case of delays. For the first time, the unemployment allowance has been made a legal right if work is not provided on time. To address labour shortages during sowing and harvesting seasons, states have been empowered to temporarily suspend work for up to 60 days.

Under the Act, panchayats will be empowered to create permanent and productive assets. Gram panchayats will identify works across four key categories, including water conservation, rainwater harvesting, check dams, rural roads and drainage, livelihood-linked infrastructure, playgrounds, open gyms, markets, and mandis. Works related to disaster management and flood control will also be included.

CM Yogi said, “Technology has been given legal backing under the Act, with provisions for biometric attendance, geo-tagging, satellite imagery, real-time monitoring through mobile applications, and direct benefit transfer (DBT). This will completely eliminate payments to fake beneficiaries and end unproductive practices such as repetitive digging and refilling of pits.”

The Chief Minister further said, “The Act mandates social audits within six months, digital and time-bound grievance redressal, the appointment of a district-level ombudsman, and audits based on prescribed standards. The funding pattern will be a 60:40 Centre–State partnership, and the scheme will remain entirely demand-driven.”

He noted that compared to MGNREGA, the new framework could provide states with nearly ₹17,000 crore in additional resources, with states having a larger workforce receiving proportionately higher employment opportunities.

Employment, he said, will now function not merely as a relief measure but as a catalyst for development and self-reliance.

CM Yogi expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, and the entire Union Cabinet, reaffirming the state government’s commitment to implementing the scheme with full transparency, sensitivity, and effectiveness.

He said the government’s objective is to ensure timely employment for every eligible person, create sustainable assets in every village, and secure dignity, safety, and prosperity for every worker.

Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, along with leaders of NDA alliance parties, were present on the occasion.