Delhi: The Indian government is preparing to introduce a new rural employment law in parliament that would replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), offering a higher guarantee of paid work to rural households.
According to officials familiar with the proposal, the draft legislation will be titled the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission (Rural), 2025, commonly referred to as VB-G RAM G. The bill is expected to be tabled during the ongoing winter session of parliament. This scheme will ensure:
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👷 125 Days of Job Guarantee
Every rural family will get a guarantee of 125 days of wage employment per year. This offers more workdays than the current MGNREGA scheme of 100 days.
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💸 Assured Timely Payments
Wages must be paid within 7–15 days after work completion. Delay in payment may lead to unemployment allowance. -
🌾 Strong Focus on Rural Employment
The scheme aims to strengthen job security in rural areas. It will mainly benefit unskilled rural workers. The scheme would be open to families with adult members willing to undertake unskilled manual work, continuing the basic framework of employment-based income support in rural areas.
Discussion Expected in Lok Sabha
Government sources say the legislation is intended to create a broader rural development framework, aligning employment generation with livelihood security and infrastructure creation. However, details on funding mechanisms and the transition away from MGNREGA are yet to be formally outlined.
Ahead of the bill’s introduction, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has issued a whip directing its MPs to remain present in the Lok Sabha between December 15 and 19, signalling that the government expects a key debate on the proposed reform.
