'G RAM G' starts tomorrow, 14,000 crores to be spent in Bengal for 125 days work

The Central Government's new rural employment initiative, 'VB G Ram G' (Viksit Bharat Gramin Rojgar Abhiyan), is set to launch nationwide and across West Bengal on Wednesday, July 1, 2026. Replacing the long-standing Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), the new legislation introduces a revamped statutory framework under the VB-G RAM-G Act. It raises the minimum guaranteed work entitlement for rural households from 100 days to 125 days per financial year.

A substantial structural shift comes with a modified funding configuration between the governments. The financial burden shared by the Centre drops from 90 percent down to 60 percent, requiring the state government to fulfill the remaining 40 percent. For the inaugural financial year, the cumulative expenditure is projected to surpass 14,000 crore rupees, with the Centre providing 8,508 crore rupees and the state contributing 5,672 crore rupees. Out of the allocated budget, 60 percent is designated for worker salaries, while the rest will fund construction materials.

West Bengal's Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Dilip Ghosh confirmed that 2.56 crore job card holders are eligible for these benefits. However, a verification prerequisite will exclude approximately 27 lakh individuals who were left out of the Special Intensified Revision (SIR) of the voter list. The department noted that correct identity documentation is mandatory to access central welfare benefits, making it impossible to register citizens omitted from the final SIR database.