The Modi government has recently enacted the Vikshit Bharat Guarantee for Rojgar and Ajivika Gramin (VB G RAM-G), replacing the long-standing Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). Under this new legislation, the funding structure shifts, with the state bearing a 10% share for northeastern states, including Manipur, in stark contrast to the previous full funding by the central government. This change presents significant challenges for states like Manipur, which may struggle to implement the revised scheme due to these increased financial responsibilities. Social activist Seram Neken, a spokesperson for the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee, has raised concerns over the new Act, highlighting that job card holders are likely to face a 60-day work deprivation due to agricultural season exclusions. He criticized the purported increase in work mandays from 100 to 125 as misleading, suggesting that actual available work would barely meet 40 days annually.
Under the new framework, the initiative will centralize work allocations, moving away from the needs of job card holders to a budget-dependent model dictated by the central government. This centralization further diminishes the authority of local Panchayat bodies, which are relegated to being mere implementing agencies. Neken expresses that the actual needs for employment and village development in Manipur will remain unmet, pointing to ongoing neglect of local governance due to the absence of elections.
The legislative transition occurred with the passing of the VB-G RAM G Bill by both Houses of Parliament on December 19, 2025, and subsequent presidential assent from Droupadi Murmu on December 21, paving the way for a fundamental restructuring of this critical rural employment program in alignment with the government’s long-term Viksit Bharat vision for 2047.
