Photo Source: Babushahi Bureau
Haryana CM Saini: VB-G RAM G is PM Modi’s guarantee of dignified livelihood for every labourer
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, January 18, 2026: Haryana Chief Minister Sh Nayab Singh Saini on Saturday described the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) as a strong foundation for improving the living standards of hardworking labourers, asserting that the scheme is Prime Minister Sh Narendra Modi’s guarantee to every worker in the country.
He said the mission ensures the right to work with dignity, timely wages, social respect, and a secure livelihood.
Addressing labourers at the state-level conference of the VB-G RAM G held at the Indradhanush Auditorium in Panchkula, the Chief Minister said that Prime Minister Modi’s vision of making India a developed nation by 2047 cannot be achieved without the development of villages and labourers.
“The road to a developed India passes through its villages. VB-G RAM G is not just an employment programme but a comprehensive initiative to uplift the lives of hardworking people while protecting the dignity and self-respect of labour,” he added.
Development and Panchayats Minister Sh Krishan Lal Panwar and Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Sh Krishna Bedi were also present on the occasion.
Sh Nayab Singh Saini said that keeping in view the shortcomings of MNREGA, the Prime Minister presented the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025, now referred to as the Viksit Bharat – G RAM G Act. He clarified that the new law is not a mere renaming of MNREGA, but a complete modernization of the rural employment system.
Under the new Act, the statutory guarantee of employment has been increased from 100 days to 125 days. In addition, states have been empowered to suspend work for up to 60 days during sowing and harvesting seasons, with workers receiving separate employment for these 60 days over and above the 125-day guarantee.
This, he said, would increase the annual income of an average rural unskilled worker by more than ₹7,000 across the country, while workers in Haryana would benefit by at least ₹10,000. With Haryana offering the highest minimum wage in the country at ₹400 per day, the annual income of a worker can rise to a minimum of ₹50,000.
The Chief Minister further announced 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 and eliminating fake workers, fake work, and fake payments.
He said the scope of work under the new law has been significantly expanded, creating more employment opportunities and accelerating development activities in villages.
Highlighting the flaws that crept into MNREGA over time, Sh Saini said that in many places machines replaced manual labour, payments were made in fake names, and wages were delayed for months. He pointed out that CAG reports and social audits had repeatedly exposed corruption, fake job cards, and contractor dominance under the earlier regime.
Comparing payments, the Chief Minister said that more than ₹5,000 crore had been paid to workers in Haryana between October 2014 and October 2025 under the BJP government, as against less than ₹2,000 crore during the ten-year Congress rule. This, he said, reflects greater transparency, wider employment coverage, and a firm commitment to the dignity of labour.
Launching a sharp attack on the Congress, Sh Nayab Singh Saini alleged that the party, devoid of real issues, was misleading people over the G RAM G scheme and had earlier turned MNREGA into a source of benefit for a few rather than for labourers.
He also criticised the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab for opposing the scheme for political reasons despite proven instances of corruption in MNREGA wage payments in the state.
Earlier, the Chief Minister interacted with beneficiaries from various districts, who expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini for increasing guaranteed employment to 125 days and ensuring wage payments within seven days.
They also welcomed the introduction of biometric authentication and geo-tagging to enhance transparency and accountability.
Addressing the gathering, Development and Panchayats Minister Sh Krishan Lal Panwar said that India can become a developed nation by 2047 only when youth, farmers, women, and the poor are empowered, adding that labourers are indispensable partners in nation-building.
Additional Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister and Commissioner and Secretary, Development and Panchayats Department, Dr Saket Kumar, welcomed the dignitaries and said the G RAM G scheme would ensure employment generation along with transparency at every level.
Rajya Sabha MPs Sh Kartikeya Sharma and Smt Rekha Sharma, former Haryana Vidhan Sabha Speaker Sh Gian Chand Gupta, Deputy Commissioner Sh Satpal Sharma, Additional Deputy Commissioner-cum-CEO 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.