Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today said that Viksit Bharat – G Ram G Act is a significant step towards building self-reliant villages.

 

Addressing workers and labourers in Tamil Nadu’s Erode, the Minister explained various provisions of this ambitious initiative, and said that the law is a concrete effort to strengthen employment generation, expand basic facilities, and promote self-sufficiency in villages. He expressed confidence that the goal of developed and prosperous villages would be achieved only through public participation.

 

Mr Chouhan said that under the earlier system, MGNREGA provided a guarantee of 100 days of employment, but in many places, neither was work available on time nor were wages paid promptly. Terming this a serious concern, he said the government introduced reforms through the Viksit Bharat – G Ram G law to address such shortcomings and eliminate corruption.

 

The Minister said that under the new law, the employment guarantee has been increased from 100 days to 125 days. He added that if work is not provided within the stipulated period, workers will be entitled to unemployment allowance. If there is a delay of more than 15 days in the payment of wages, interest will also be paid.

 

Mr Chouhan said that administrative expenditure has been increased from 6 per cent to 9 per cent to ensure the timely payment of salaries to field-level staff and to make the system more effective.

 

The Union Minister said that Gram Sabhas have been empowered under the new law, and village assemblies will now decide for themselves which development works should be undertaken in their villages. Mr Chouhan made it clear that decisions related to development will no longer be taken in Chennai or Delhi, but at the village level itself.