New Delhi [India], June 29 : Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday said extensive discussions have been held over the past two days with officials and Rural Development Ministers from states across the country on the implementation of the Viksit Bharat-Employment and Livelihood Guarantee Mission (Rural) (VB-G RAM-G).
Chouhan asserted that the initiative aims to ensure that no labourer seeking employment remains without work even for an hour.
Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Chouhan said the mission will be formally launched on July 1 and that all stakeholders have deliberated on measures to strengthen its implementation at the grassroots level.
"I am extremely pleased that over the past two days, officials from various rural development schemes of all states across the country and today all Rural Development Ministers have discussed the implementation of this, how we can deliver it more effectively to the grassroots level, and if any labourer needs work, they should not have to remain without work even for an hour, we have deliberated on all these aspects. On July 1, this ('Viksit Bharat Employment and Livelihood Guarantee Mission (Rural)') will be launched," Chouhan said.
He said detailed consultations were held on the roadmap for implementation, adding that representatives from all states had expressed their commitment to ensuring the scheme reaches beneficiaries effectively.
"We have discussed in detail what steps need to be taken. People from all states have expressed their commitment to implementing it so that labourers can get proper work. We have had very detailed and comprehensive discussions on every scheme," the Union Minister said.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said the BJP's "double-engine" governments would accelerate development and help realise the vision of developed villages under a developed Uttar Pradesh as part of the broader goal of a developed India.
"Governments led by the BJP are called double-engine governments. The speed of a double-engine government is very fast. That is why we have set a goal to witness a developed India and developed villages within a developed Uttar Pradesh; we are confident that we will achieve this," Maurya said.
The new legislation is set to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005, with an enhanced framework guaranteeing 125 days of wage employment in rural areas.
The Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act was passed in the Winter Session of Parliament in 2025 and replaces the 100-day employment guarantee with a 125-day guarantee. However, the Opposition has criticised the legislation for removing Mahatma Gandhi's name from the scheme and altering the 60:40 share of funds between the Centre and states.