Centre Introduces VB–G-RAM-G Bill to Guarantee 125 Days of Rural Wage Employment

Presenting the Bill in Parliament, the Minister said the government’s unwavering resolve is to ensure the welfare of the poor and uplift rural communities.

 

Union Minister for Rural Development and Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, today introduced the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin)—VB–G RAM G Bill, 2025—in the Lok Sabha. The Bill proposes a statutory guarantee of 125 days of wage employment per year, marking a major expansion in rural livelihood assurance and aligning with the government’s broader mission of building a self-reliant and developed rural India.

Presenting the Bill in Parliament, the Minister said the government’s unwavering resolve is to ensure the welfare of the poor and uplift rural communities. He emphasised that the initiative is not limited to wage support but is designed for holistic village development, reflecting Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of productive, resilient and self-sustaining rural ecosystems. The Central Government has committed over ₹95,000 crore towards the programme, signalling one of the largest investments in rural employment generation.

Shri Shivraj Singh highlighted the long history of rural employment schemes in India, noting earlier programmes such as the Jawahar Rozgar Yojana. He questioned the politicisation of renaming past schemes, asserting that the government’s focus must remain on tangible benefits for the poor. He said that funding disparities had historically left many panchayats underdeveloped. To address this imbalance, the new Bill introduces a grading mechanism for panchayats, assigning more work and resources to those that are underperforming or lagging in development.

The Minister underlined that the values of Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya guide this initiative, both of whom envisioned uplifting the most marginalised sections of society. He said the government led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is actively implementing multiple welfare programmes rooted in these principles of social justice and rural advancement.

Addressing comparisons with the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Shri Shivraj Singh pointed out that the earlier UPA government had spent ₹2,13,220 crore on the scheme, while the present government has allocated ₹8,53,810 crore towards welfare measures and strengthening rural employment mechanisms. By increasing guaranteed employment from 100 days to 125 days, supported by a financial provision of ₹1,51,282 crore, the Minister said the new Bill represents a significant enhancement rather than a mere continuation.

He said the VB–G RAM G Bill also addresses long-standing concerns regarding labour availability. Recalling that former Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar had flagged labour shortages in agriculture, he noted that the new framework balances rural labour demand with agricultural needs, ensuring that wage employment does not impede farm productivity.

Responding to objections raised over the name of the Bill, the Minister remarked that terms associated with Ram Rajya should not evoke discomfort, as Mahatma Gandhi himself envisioned Ram Rajya as a state of justice, equality, dignity and freedom from suffering. He emphasised that invoking Ram Rajya in the context of governance does not represent religious symbolism but Gandhian ideals of moral and social upliftment.

Shri Shivraj Singh concluded by stating that the Bill aims to provide abundant employment, restore dignity to rural workers and extend special protections for the differently-abled, elderly, women, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The mission is to drive comprehensive rural development, balance labour and agriculture, and build a rural economy aligned with Gandhiji’s aspirations for a just and inclusive nation.