Union Agriculture Minister Ratan Lal Nath announced the central government’s decision to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), or VB G RAM G, which aims to enhance the welfare of rural workers in Tripura. At a press conference in Agartala, he highlighted that the new guidelines would extend the guaranteed employment period from 100 days to 125 days per year, benefiting thousands of families in rural areas of the state. The government will also provide additional financial support to states to facilitate the implementation of this expanded program. Minister Nath noted that Tripura currently has 6.56 lakh job card holders and a total of 10.20 lakh registered workers, demonstrating the scheme’s substantial outreach across the state’s rural regions.
Since the inception of the scheme, the Centre has released Rs 7,801 crore to Tripura over the past seven years, which has led to the creation of approximately 8.70 lakh assets—exceeding achievements from the previous Left Front administration. Additionally, he shared that rural workers in Tripura have collectively received Rs 5,332 crore in wages under MGNREGA. On a national scale, the funding allocated for MGNREGA has risen dramatically from approximately Rs 2.63 lakh crore between 2005 and 2014 to over Rs 7.81 lakh crore currently, reflecting a stronger emphasis on rural employment initiatives. This increase signifies the government’s commitment to bolstering rural livelihoods through enhanced support and resources.
