From Our Correspondent
TURA, Jan 4: A total of 410 job card holders were sensitised on Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act, 2025, and its objectives, benefits and provisions through a two-day mass awareness campaign, which culminated on Sunday.
The two-day campaign was organised by the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), South Garo Hills, Dagal Gopgre, with the aim of creating awareness among rural stakeholders, particularly job card holders and village leadership.
As part of the campaign, a Sarpanch Sammelan was held on January 3 at the KVK campus, which was attended by 10 village heads representing Badimagre, Papa Songital, Kene Chaneagre, Kenegre, Omakgre, Jalegre, Dagal Gopgre, Dagal Asimgre, Kene Anchengre and Budugre.
A total of 90 job card holders participated in the sammelan, during which an interactive session was conducted involving village heads, KVK South Garo Hills officials and job card holders.
The job card secretary facilitated discussions on the provisions and significance of the VB-G RAM G Act, 2025, while informative leaflets were distributed to all participants to enhance understanding and ensure wider dissemination of information at the village level.
Further strengthening the outreach, Village Goshthis and a Walking Seminar were organised on January 4 across five villages, namely Rinkap Sonawari, Balwatgre, Rikapgre, Rongbalbanggre and Dagal Gopgre.
The walking seminar witnessed active participation from 320 job card holders, during which leaflets on the VB-G RAM G Bill, 2025, were distributed and on-the-spot discussions were held to clarify doubts and encourage community participation.
Through the two-day initiative, the campaign played a significant role in strengthening grassroots-level understanding of the VB-G RAM G Act, and promoting informed participation in rural development initiatives.
It is pertinent to note that the VB-G RAM G Bill was passed with a voice vote amid protests in the Rajya Sabha on December 18, 2025, hours after the Lok Sabha cleared it.
On December 21, President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the Bill, making it an Act, which replaces the rural employment law, MGNREGA, guaranteeing 125 days of wage employment per rural household every financial year.
The move was met with protests from opposition parties as well as activists, who have argued that the rights-based approach under the earlier law has been changed and also opposed Mahatma Gandhi’s name being removed from the name of the scheme.
According to the rural development ministry, VB-G RAM G aims to establish a “future-ready, convergence-driven, saturation-oriented rural development architecture”.
The government has argued that it aims to transform rural employment from a standalone welfare intervention into an integrated instrument of development.
Among the main criticisms of the new scheme is the cost being split 60:40 between the Centre and states, while under the MGNREGA, wages were fully paid by the Centre.
VB-G RAM G provides for normative allocation to states and any expenditure beyond it has to be borne by the states, which has been criticised by activists and opposition parties, who have said it destroys the scheme’s demand-driven nature. (With inputs from PTI)
