Viksit Bharat GRAM G Act 2025

 The Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB—G RAM G Act, 2025 is designed to establish a rural development framework that aligns specifically with the national vision of Viksit Bharat @2047. The sources outline several core objectives within the larger context of promoting empowerment, growth, convergence, and saturation for a resilient rural Bharat.

1. Enhanced Statutory Wage-Employment Guarantee

A primary objective of the Act is to provide an enhanced statutory guarantee of 125 days of wage employment in every financial year. This is available to every rural household whose adult members volunteer for unskilled manual work. The context for this enhancement is to enable rural households to participate more effectively in an expanded livelihood security framework, moving beyond basic employment toward long-term economic participation.

2. The Viksit Bharat National Rural Infrastructure Stack

The Act focuses on aggregating public works into a Viksit Bharat National Rural Infrastructure Stack. This "Stack" is a consolidated aggregation of works categorized into four thematic domains intended to produce measurable saturation outcomes:

• Water Security: Focusing on conservation, irrigation, groundwater recharge, and the rejuvenation of water bodies.
• Core Rural Infrastructure: Developing civic, social, and service-delivery infrastructure such as rural roads, school buildings, health centers, and renewable energy assets.
• Livelihood-related Infrastructure: Creating productive assets like agri-value chain infrastructure, livestock shelters, and skill development centers to foster self-reliant rural economies.
• Mitigation of Extreme Weather: Undertaking special works for disaster preparedness and climate adaptation, such as cyclone shelters and flood management.

3. Saturation-Driven Planning and Convergence

In the context of governance, the Act seeks to institutionalize saturation-driven planning and "whole of government delivery".

• Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans: These are "future-ready" local development plans formulated through participatory processes.
• PM Gati Shakti Integration: These plans must be integrated with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan to ensure spatially optimized infrastructure development and inter-departmental convergence.
• Unified Planning Process: The Act mandates a "single-plan, multi-funding approach" where all central, state, and local schemes are brought under the unified planning process of the Gram Panchayat.

4. Synergy with the Agricultural Economy

A significant contextual objective is to facilitate adequate farm-labour availability during peak agricultural seasons. To prevent the employment guarantee from conflicting with essential farming activities, the Act stipulates that:

• No work shall be executed during peak seasons (sowing and harvesting) as notified by the State Government.
• These notified periods shall aggregate to sixty days in a financial year.

5. Modernization of Governance and Accountability

The sources emphasize modernizing rural governance through a comprehensive digital ecosystem. Key technological objectives include:

• Authentication and Monitoring: Using biometric authentication for workers and transactions, and GPS or mobile-based monitoring for real-time visibility of worksites.
• Transparency: Real-time Management Information System (MIS) dashboards and proactive public disclosures.
• Artificial Intelligence: Utilizing AI for planning, audits, and the mitigation of fraud risks.
• Social Audits: Strengthening the social audit mechanism by requiring the Gram Sabha to conduct audits of all works and expenditures at least once every six months.

In the context of the Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB—G RAM G Act, 2025, the Viksit Bharat National Rural Infrastructure Stack serves as the central framework for planning, executing, and monitoring rural public works to achieve the national vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.

The following sections discuss its role and significance as detailed in the sources:

1. Definition and Structural Framework

The Infrastructure Stack is defined as a consolidated aggregation of proposed works that emerge from local-level planning. These works are first identified in Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans (VGPPs), which are then consolidated at the Block, District, and State levels before being aggregated into the national Stack. This structure ensures that all rural infrastructure projects are aligned with national development priorities while remaining responsive to local needs.

2. Thematic Focus Domains

The Stack is organized into four thematic domains designed to promote empowerment, growth, and resilience:

• Water Security: Prioritizes water-related works such as the rejuvenation of water bodies, groundwater recharge, irrigation channels, and watershed development to ensure long-term climate resilience.
• Core Rural Infrastructure: Focuses on foundational civic and social assets, including rural roads, school buildings, health centers, Anganwadi centers, and renewable energy infrastructure like solar lighting.
• Livelihood-related Infrastructure: Aims to create self-reliant rural economies by developing productive assets such as agri-value chain infrastructure (cold storage, warehouses), livestock shelters, and skill development centers.
• Mitigation of Extreme Weather: Includes special works for disaster preparedness, such as cyclone shelters, flood management structures, and forest fire management to create climate-resilient villages.

3. Convergence and Saturation-Driven Planning

The Infrastructure Stack is the primary tool for institutionalizing saturation-driven planning and a "whole of government" delivery model.

• Integration with PM Gati Shakti: The planning process is powered by geospatial systems and integrated with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan to ensure that infrastructure development is spatially optimized.
• Single-Plan, Multi-Funding Approach: The Stack facilitates a unified process where all existing assets and proposed works—regardless of whether they are funded by this Act or other Central and State schemes—are mandatorily registered and tracked. This prevents duplication of efforts and ensures that various departmental investments converge to meet saturation goals.

4. Governance and Accountability

As a "digital backbone" for rural works, the Stack guides the standardization of work designs and the identification of priority infrastructure gaps.

• Digital Tracking: All sanctioned works must be taken up through a designated digital portal that maintains a comprehensive register of rural public works.
• Measurable Outcomes: The Stack is intended to ensure that public investments contribute to measurable saturation outcomes at the Gram Panchayat, Block, and District levels.
• Technical Standards: Every work within the Stack must have a technical estimate and design aligned with the framework’s standards, ensuring quality and transparency across all stakeholders.

The implementation framework of the Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB—G RAM G Act, 2025 is a multi-tiered, technology-driven system designed to deliver an enhanced statutory guarantee of 125 days of wage employment per financial year. This framework transitions rural development into a "whole of government" delivery model, emphasizing saturation-driven planning and digital accountability.

The following components define the implementation framework as detailed in the sources:

1. Multi-Tier Governance and Authorities

The Act establishes a hierarchical structure for oversight and execution across national, state, and local levels:

• National Level: The Central Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Council handles evaluation and monitoring. A National Level Steering Committee is also constituted to recommend "normative allocations" to States and advise on inter-ministerial convergence.
• State Level: Each State constitutes a State Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Council for monitoring and a State Level Steering Committee to provide operational guidance and ensure timely preparation of the aggregate State plan.
• District and Block Levels: The District Programme Coordinator (DPC) (typically the District Collector) is responsible for consolidating the district's aggregate plan and overseeing compliance. At the intermediate level, a Programme Officer (PO) matches labor demand with opportunities and ensures prompt wage payments.
• Local Level (Gram Panchayats): Panchayats are the "principal authorities" for planning and implementation. Gram Panchayats are responsible for registering households, issuing Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Cards, and executing at least 50% of the works by cost.

2. The Planning and Execution Cycle

Implementation follows a strict bottom-up planning process integrated with national infrastructure goals:

• Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans (VGPP): Future-ready, convergence-based local plans formulated through participatory processes. Gram Panchayats are categorized (Category A, B, or C) based on development parameters to address specific local needs.
• PM Gati Shakti Integration: VGPPs are integrated with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan using geospatial tools to ensure spatially optimized infrastructure development.
• National Rural Infrastructure Stack: All proposed works are aggregated into a national "Stack" categorized into four domains: Water Security, Core Rural Infrastructure, Livelihood-related Infrastructure, and Disaster Preparedness.
• Direct Execution: Works must be executed without contractors if financed under the Act. As far as practicable, manual labor is prioritized over labor-displacing machinery.

3. Financial Framework and Resource Sharing

The Act operates as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with a specific fund-sharing pattern:

• Sharing Ratio: 90:10 for North-Eastern and Himalayan States/UTs (Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir); 60:40 for all other States and UTs with a legislature. The Central Government bears 100% of the cost for UTs without a legislature.
• Normative Allocation: The Central Government determines state-wise allocations based on objective parameters. States are responsible for any expenditure incurred in excess of this allocation and for paying unemployment allowances.

4. Technological and Digital Ecosystem

A "comprehensive digital ecosystem" is central to the Act's modernized governance:

• Authentication: Mandates biometric authentication for workers and transactions.
• Monitoring: Uses GPS or mobile-based worksite monitoring and real-time Management Information System (MIS) dashboards to track demand, workforce deployment, and physical progress.
• Advanced Tools: The framework incorporates Artificial Intelligence (AI) for planning, audits, and fraud-risk mitigation.
• e-Muster Rolls: Muster rolls are electronically generated (e-musters) and attendance is recorded daily via biometric systems.

5. Accountability and Grievance Redressal

To ensure transparency, the framework includes several oversight mechanisms:

• Social Audits: The Gram Sabha must conduct social audits of all works and expenditures at least once every six months.
• Grievance Redressal: A multi-tier mechanism exists at the Block and District levels. Grievances must be enquired into within seven working days, and unresolved issues are automatically escalated through the digital system.
• Ombudsperson: An Ombudsperson is appointed for each district to receive grievances and issue awards via digital platforms.
• Unemployment Allowance: If employment is not provided within 15 days of application, applicants are entitled to a daily unemployment allowance.

In the framework of the Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB—G RAM G Act, 2025, operational guidelines serve as the essential regulatory instruments issued by the Central and State Governments to provide granular, technical, and situational instructions for the Act's execution. They are designed to ensure that the statutory guarantee of 125 days of wage employment is delivered through a modernized, transparent, and responsive governance system.

The sources highlight the role of operational guidelines in the following key areas:

1. Strategic Oversight and Standards

The National Level Steering Committee is mandated to advise the Central Government on the standards and guidelines necessary for implementing the Act. This includes establishing protocols for:

• Digital and Geospatial Infrastructure: Guidelines for the deployment of the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan and other geospatial systems used in planning.
• Monitoring Systems: Frameworks for real-time Management Information System (MIS) dashboards and GPS-based worksite monitoring.

2. Specialized Project Implementation

Operational guidelines define the technical and eligibility parameters for specific categories of work:

• Individual Beneficiary Works: For projects such as housing under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana—Gramin or sanitation-related works, implementation must conform to the norms, standards, and guidelines issued by the Central Government.
• E-Muster Rolls: While the Act mandates digital muster rolls, the specific processing procedures for officials are stipulated under relevant guidelines.

3. Accountability and Redressal Mechanisms

Guidelines are critical for the functioning of the Act’s "comprehensive digital ecosystem" for accountability:

• Concurrent Evaluation Mechanism: A technology-enabled monitoring system for tracking work execution and asset outcomes is specified by the Central Government through guidelines to ensure real-time vigilance.
• Ombudsperson: The appointment, enquiry procedures, and issuance of awards by the District Ombudsperson are governed by guidelines notified by the Central and State Governments.

4. Operational Relaxations during Calamities

The Act provides for special operational relaxations in the event of natural calamities or extraordinary circumstances. These relaxations, which may include temporary expansion of permissible works or relaxed documentation norms, are declared by the Central Government to ensure timely support to affected rural households.

5. Transition and Repeal of Previous Frameworks

In the larger context of legal transition, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005, is repealed upon the commencement of this Act. This repeal explicitly includes all guidelines made under the 2005 Act, effectively replacing the old operational framework with the new "Viksit Bharat" standards. However, any actions taken or schemes sanctioned under the old guidelines remain valid if they are consistent with the provisions of the 2025 Act.

In the context of the Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB—G RAM G Act, 2025, transparency and accountability are institutionalized through a "comprehensive digital ecosystem" designed to modernize rural governance and ensure the effective delivery of the 125-day wage employment guarantee,.

The sources detail several key pillars of this accountability framework:

1. Technology-Enabled Transparency

The Act mandates the use of advanced digital tools to provide real-time visibility into the mission's operations,.

• Biometric Authentication: This is required for workers, functionaries, and all financial transactions to prevent identity fraud and ensure benefits reach the intended recipients,.
• Geospatial Planning and Monitoring: Worksites are monitored via Global Positioning System (GPS) and mobile applications,. Planning utilizes satellite imagery and digital mapping to ensure spatially optimized infrastructure development.
• Real-Time Dashboards: A national Management Information System (MIS) provides public dashboards that display demand for work, workforce deployment, payments, and physical progress indicators,.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI): The Act specifically includes the use of AI for planning, conducting audits, and mitigating fraud risks,.

2. Community-Led Accountability and Social Audits

The framework empowers local communities through the Gram Sabha to oversee public expenditures.

• Social Audit Mandate: The Gram Sabha must conduct regular social audits of all works and expenditures at least once every six months,.
• Access to Records: For these audits, the Gram Panchayat is legally required to provide all documents, including electronic muster rolls (e-musters), vouchers, and geo-tagged photographs, for public scrutiny,.
• Janata Boards: Every worksite must display a board indicating the project details, estimated labour days, and item-wise costs in local terminology to facilitate public oversight.

3. Multi-Tier Grievance Redressal and the Ombudsperson

The Act establishes a time-bound and multi-tier mechanism to address complaints regarding non-payment of wages, lack of worksite facilities, or discrimination,.

• Time-Bound Resolution: Enquiries into grievances must be completed within seven working days, and full resolution must occur within fifteen days.
• Automatic Escalation: If a grievance is not resolved within the 15-day window, it is automatically escalated to a higher level of authority through the integrated digital system.
• Ombudsperson: The State Government is required to appoint an Ombudsperson for each District to independently conduct enquiries and issue awards via digital platforms.

4. Financial Accountability and Delay Compensation

To ensure financial integrity, the Act dictates specific payment and auditing protocols:

• Direct Payments: All wages and unemployment allowances are paid directly to the individual’s bank or post office account, effectively eliminating intermediaries,.
• Automatic Delay Compensation: If wages are not paid within 15 days of a muster roll's closure, the computer system automatically calculates compensation at a rate of 0.05% of unpaid wages per day,.
• Audits by CAG: The Central Government, in consultation with the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India, establishes the arrangements for auditing the Scheme's accounts at all levels.

5. Proactive Public Disclosure

A significant shift under the Act is the requirement for "Mandatory Public Disclosure". Gram Panchayats are required to hold weekly disclosure meetings to present the status of works, payments, and grievances to the community. All information regarding labour demand and material utilization must also be available in free, downloadable electronic formats on official websites,.

The financial provisions of the Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB—G RAM G Act, 2025 establish it as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with a structured fund-sharing model and strict accountability measures. These provisions are designed to ensure that the statutory guarantee of 125 days of wage employment is adequately funded while promoting fiscal responsibility at the state level.

1. Fund Sharing Pattern

The Act specifies a tiered sharing ratio between the Central and State Governments to manage financial liability:

• North-Eastern and Himalayan States: The sharing pattern is 90:10 for North-Eastern States, Himalayan States, and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
• Other States and UTs with Legislature: A ratio of 60:40 applies to all other states and Union Territories with their own legislatures.
• UTs without Legislature: The Central Government bears 100% of the expenses for these territories.

2. Normative Allocation and Excess Expenditure

The Central Government determines a state-wise "normative allocation" for each financial year.

• Determination: These allocations are based on objective parameters prescribed by the Central Government and are recommended by the National Level Steering Committee.
• State Liability: A critical financial provision is that States must bear any expenditure incurred in excess of this normative allocation using their own procedures and funds.

3. Components of Expenditure

The shared funds (Central and State) are utilized for several specific categories:

• Wage Component: This covers payments for unskilled, semi-skilled, and skilled labour employed under the Scheme.
• Material Component: This includes the cost of materials for works, though it is strictly capped; the material component must not exceed forty per cent at the District level.
• Administrative Expenses: This includes salaries and allowances for Programme Officers and supporting staff, as well as the administrative costs of the Central and State Councils. At least one-third of administrative costs must be utilized at the Gram Panchayat level.

4. Direct Payments and Compensation

To ensure financial integrity and protect workers, the Act mandates direct financial transactions:

• Direct-to-Account: All wages and unemployment allowances must be paid directly to the person's bank or post office account.
• Unemployment Allowance: If employment is not provided within 15 days, the State Government is solely responsible for paying an unemployment allowance. This rate is at least one-fourth of the wage rate for the first 30 days and one-half for the remainder of the year.
• Delay Compensation: If wages are not paid within 15 days of the muster roll closing, workers are entitled to compensation at a rate of 0.05% of unpaid wages per day of delay. This cost is borne entirely by the State Government.

5. Financial Constraints and Controls

The Act includes several provisions to prevent financial leakage and ensure local empowerment:

• Gram Panchayat Execution: At least fifty per cent of the works by cost must be implemented through Gram Panchayats.
• Ban on Contractors: No contractors are allowed for any work or component financed through this Act; implementing agencies must execute works directly.
• Recovery of Funds: Any misappropriated amounts are recoverable under state revenue laws, and the Central share of such recoveries must be remitted back to the Consolidated Fund of India.
• Audits: The Central Government, in consultation with the Comptroller and Auditor-General (CAG), establishes the arrangements for auditing Scheme accounts at all levels.