my uttarakhand news Bureau
Dehradun, 22 Dec: The State Rural Development Minister, Ganesh Joshi, today addressed a press conference at the Media Centre located in the Secretariat regarding the new Bill titled “Viksit Bharat – Guarantee Mission for Employment and Livelihood (Rural)”, also known as the VB-G RAM JI Bill, 2025.
Minister Ganesh Joshi said that the Government of India has, from time to time, implemented various schemes with the objective of providing employment in rural areas. He stated that the Jawahar Rozgar Yojana was launched in 1989, which was later merged into the Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana in 2001. In 2006, it was implemented as NREGA and subsequently, in 2009, as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA).
The Rural Development Minister stated that under MGNREGA, rural households were guaranteed 100 days of employment in a financial year, which provided work opportunities to unskilled labourers in rural areas. However, with the aim of making rural citizens self-reliant and self-sufficient, and to realise Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resolve of a Developed India by 2047, the VB-G RAM JI Scheme is now being introduced. Under this scheme, priority will be given to the creation of permanent assets in Gram Panchayats, water-related works, development of rural infrastructure, livelihood enhancement, and agriculture-related activities.
He further stated that, under the new scheme, 125 days of guaranteed employment will be provided in a financial year. For the North-Eastern States, Himalayan States, and Union Territories—including Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir—the funding ratio between the Centre and the State will be 90:10. Additionally, considering the difficult geographical conditions of states like Uttarakhand, retaining walls (safety walls) have been included in the category of permissible works.
Minister Ganesh Joshi said that during peak agricultural seasons such as sowing and harvesting, the State Government will be able to earmark up to 60 days in a year during which no work will be undertaken under this scheme, so that adequate labour remains available for farming and agriculture is encouraged. He stated that the objective of the scheme is to advance empowerment, development, and comprehensive care for a prosperous and strong rural India by the year 2047. Repair and maintenance of works created under the Jal Jeevan Mission will also be undertaken. He added that under the VB-G RAM JI Scheme, a penalty of Rs 10,000 will be imposed on any individual found violating the rules.
The Minister provided key statistics under the Viksit Bharat – Rural Employment and Livelihood Guarantee Mission:
Registered job card holder families: 10.10 lakh; Active families: 6.71 lakh; Job card holder workers: 16.15 lakh; Active workers: 9.35 lakh. The proposed allocation for the current financial year is Rs 1,51,282 crore, out of which Rs 840 crore has been proposed for Uttarakhand.
Minister Ganesh Joshi said that change is a law of nature, and in the past too, schemes have undergone changes in name and structure. He expressed confidence that the VB-G RAM JI Scheme will play a significant role in employment generation in rural areas, livelihood enhancement, and achieving the goal of a developed India.
On this occasion, Secretary, Rural Development, Dheeraj Singh Garbyal, and Commissioner, Rural Development, Anuradha Pal, were also present.
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