VB-G RAM G Act 2025 guarantees 125 days of wage employment annually

The question asked the Ministry of Rural Development to clarify if MGNREGS has been replaced by the new VB-G RAM G scheme, address concerns regarding the shift in financial burden to States, and confirm if the statutory right to work has been diluted.

Asked and answered by: Asked by Shri Manickam Tagore B and Shri Vijayakumar Alias Vijay Vasanth; Answered by the Ministry of Rural Development (Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan).

What the government said

• MGNREGA Act 2005 was repealed and VB-G RAM G Act 2025 implemented from 1st July 2026.
• The new scheme guarantees 125 days of wage employment per year, compared to 100 days under MGNREGS.
• Fund sharing is 90:10 (Centre:State) for North Eastern, Himalayan States, and specific UTs, and 60:40 for all other States and UTs with legislature.
• Central share provision for FY 2026-27 is ₹95,692.31 crore, with a total programme outlay likely to exceed ₹1.51 lakh crore.
• Financial sanctions of ₹25,844.97 crore have been issued to States/UTs as the first instalment.
• Over 9.69 Crore person-days of employment were generated within one month of rollout.

Also in the document

• The government states that the 60:40 funding pattern is consistent with the broader framework of Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS).
• The government asserts that the transition was 'smooth, seamless and worker-centric' and that the new Act 'retains and strengthens' the rights-based nature of wage employment.