Chandigarh, January 18 – Haryana Chief Minister Sh Nayab Singh Saini, describing the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) as a strong foundation for improving the living standards of hardworking labourers, said that this scheme is Prime Minister Sh Narendra Modi’s guarantee to every worker in the country. It ensures the right to work with dignity, timely wages, social respect, and a secure livelihood.
The Chief Minister was addressing the labourers at the state-level conference of the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Gramin (VB-G RAM G) held at the Indradhanush Auditorium in Panchkula today. On the occasion, Development and Panchayats Minister Sh Krishan Lal Panwar and Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Sh Krishna Bedi were also present.
The Chief Minister said that the Prime Minister’s resolve to make India a developed nation by 2047 cannot be achieved without the development of villages and labourers. He emphasized that the path to a developed India passes through its villages. The VB G Ram G scheme is not merely an employment programme, but an initiative aimed at uplifting the lives of hardworking people, ensuring dignity of labour, and protecting their self-respect.
Sh Nayab Singh Saini further said that, keeping in view the shortcomings of MNREGA, Prime Minister Sh Narendra Modi has presented the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025 to the nation, which is being referred to as the Viksit Bharat – G Ram G Act. He clarified that this is not just a renaming of MNREGA, but a comprehensive modernization of the rural employment system.
He said that under the new law, the statutory guarantee of employment has been increased from 100 days to 125 days. In addition, the law empowers states to suspend work for up to 60 days during the sowing and harvesting seasons. This provision ensures that workers will receive employment for these 60 days separately, in addition to the 125 days guaranteed under the Viksit Bharat – G Ram G scheme. As a result, the annual income of an average rural unskilled worker across the country is expected to increase by more than Rs 7,000. In Haryana, each worker will receive an additional benefit of at least Rs 10,000. With Haryana offering the highest minimum wage in the country at Rs 400 per day, the annual income of every worker can increase to a minimum of Rs 50,000.
The Chief Minister said that under the VB-G RAM G scheme, wages will now be paid on a weekly basis instead of the earlier 15-day cycle, ensuring timely payments to workers. These provisions will eliminate fake workers, fake work, and fake payments. He further stated that the nature and scope of work under the new law have been expanded, with many additional categories of work being included. This will create more employment opportunities for labourers and accelerate development activities in villages. Earlier, MNREGA offered limited avenues of employment, whereas the new scheme adopts a more comprehensive and development-oriented approach.
Sh Nayab Singh Saini said that the circumstances were very different when MNREGA was first launched, but over time several shortcomings crept into the scheme, directly impacting workers. He said that workers are well aware that in some places machines replaced manual labour, in others payments were made in fake names, and on many occasions, wages were delayed for months. He further stated that in several parts of the country, corruption, fake job cards, the dominance of contractors, and the violation of workers’ rights took place under the guise of MNREGA. From CAG reports to social audits, it has repeatedly been revealed that while genuine workers continued to toil, others misappropriated the benefits meant for them.
Comparing the payments made under MNREGA during the tenure of the current BJP government in Haryana with those made during the ten-year tenure of the Congress government, the Chief Minister said that he is proud that more than Rs 5,000 crore has been paid to workers between October 2014 and October 2025. In contrast, less than Rs 2,000 crore was dispersed during the decade-long Congress regime. He said this clearly demonstrates that the present government has provided employment to a larger number of workers, ensured greater transparency in fund disbursement, and placed the dignity of labour at the forefront of its governance agenda. The Chief Minister added that under the VB-G RAM G scheme, the rights of workers have become stronger than ever before.
Launching a scathing attack on the opposition Congress party and its allies, the Chief Minister said that the Congress has become devoid of real issues and is resorting to misleading tactics to create confusion about the G RAM G scheme. He alleged that Congress leaders had turned the MNREGA scheme into a means of livelihood for themselves rather than for labourers. He said that during their tenure, the name of the scheme was changed repeatedly, but corruption continued unabated.
The Chief Minister said that it was due to the flawed policies of the Congress that the people of the country and the state have rejected the party. He urged citizens not to be misled by Congress propaganda, stating that the party has consistently played with the interests of the poor and backward classes.
In contrast, he said, Prime Minister Sh Narendra Modi is continuously working to improve the living standards of labourers, the poor, and the weaker sections of society through transparent and worker-centric policies
Sh Nayab Singh Saini also criticized the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab, alleging that it is opposing the G RAM G scheme solely for political considerations. He said that despite proven instances of corruption in wage payments to labourers under MNREGA in Punjab, the state government has failed to take action against those responsible. He further stated that Prime Minister Sh Narendra Modi has implemented the VB-G RAM G scheme to uphold the dignity of labourers and ensure that no one can misappropriate their hard-earned wages.
Earlier, the Chief Minister interacted with beneficiaries of the scheme from various districts and heard firsthand about their experiences with the VB-G RAM G scheme. The labourers expressed their gratitude to Prime Minister Sh Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Sh Nayab Singh Saini for implementing the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin). They said that the scheme will now provide 125 days of employment instead of the earlier 100 days, leading to increased income and improved living standards. The beneficiaries also expressed happiness over the provision of wage payments within seven days. They added that the introduction of biometric authentication and geo-tagging will ensure greater ease, transparency, and accountability in the implementation of the scheme.
Addressing the gathering, Development and Panchayats Minister Sh Krishan Lal Panwar said that Prime Minister Sh Narendra Modi has emphasized that India can become a developed nation by 2047 only when the youth, farmers, women, and the poor are empowered. He stated that the vision of a developed India cannot be realized without strengthening rural areas.
He said that labourers are hardworking partners in nation-building, who plough the fields, construct roads and buildings, and power industries. Development, he asserted, is impossible without their contribution. Every drop of sweat shed by labourers narrates the story of India’s development, a contribution that had been overlooked for a long time.
Sh Panwar further alleged that the opposition is attempting to mislead workers regarding the G RAM G scheme. He assured them that the interests of workers are fully protected under the leadership of Prime Minister Sh Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Sh Nayab Singh Saini.
The Additional Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister and Commissioner and Secretary of the Development and Panchayats Department, Dr. Saket Kumar, welcomed the Chief Guest and other dignitaries, stating that the G RAM G scheme will not only generate employment for workers but also ensure transparency at every level of its implementation.
Rajya Sabha MPs Sh Kartikeya Sharma and Smt Rekha Sharma, former Speaker of the Haryana Legislative Assembly Sh Gian Chand Gupta, Deputy Commissioner Sh. Satpal Sharma, Additional Deputy Commissioner cum Chief Executive Officer of DRDA Panchkula Smt Nisha Yadav, BJP State Vice President Smt Banto Kataria, District President Sh. Ajay Mittal, President of Haryana MNREGA Mate Workers Union Sh. Naveen Kumar, and other dignitaries were also present on this occasion.
