The Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Gramin (VB-G RAM G) Act now allows 375 permissible works. This replaces the MGNREGA, which permitted 266 types of work. New additions include school buildings and flood relief centres. Researcher Chakradhar Buddha said, “Expanding that range gives them more options to choose projects.”
Construction of government school buildings, kitchen sheds and cyclone and flood relief centres are among the over 100 new kinds of work allowed under the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Gramin (VB-G RAM G) Act.
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), which has been replaced by VB-G RAM G, permitted 266 kinds of works, out of which 150 were related to agriculture and agriculture-allied activities and 58 linked to natural resource management.
Under VB-G RAM G, the number of permissible works has increased to 375. The construction of cyclone and flood relief centres, embankments, school buildings and the setting up of processing units for cashew, flour mills, forest produce and handloom are among the infrastructure-related categories introduced under the new scheme.
Under VB-G RAM G, water-related works such as construction of canals, flood or diversion channels, check dams, gully plugs and underground dykes have been reduced to 89 from 114 under the MGNREGA. Similarly, 39 types of works related to afforestation, plantation and soil conservation have been permitted compared with 46 under the previous scheme.
Chakradhar Buddha, a senior researcher at LibTech India, a research organisation working on the implementation of social welfare schemes, welcomed the expansion in permissible works, saying it would give panchayats more options to meet local needs. He, however, cautioned against the Union and state governments imposing their priorities on panchayats.
“Sometimes, panchayats are unable to provide employment because the range of permissible works is limited. Expanding that range gives them more options to choose projects according to local needs. But this will help only if gram panchayats are given a free hand in selecting work that addresses the needs of the SCs, STs, agricultural labourers and other poor and marginalised groups,” he said.
“The central and state governments often push specific types of work they consider important, overlooking local needs. With VB-G RAM G emphasising infrastructure development, the Centre may prioritise major construction projects. If panchayats are expected to take up these projects regardless of local needs, the expanded list of permissible work will offer them little meaningful choice,” Buddha said.