Yog Raj Sharma
The North News
Shimla, January 7
The Bharatiya Janata Party’s Himachal Pradesh president Dr Rajeev Bindal has described a newly passed rural employment law as a “visionary and timely” intervention aimed at linking jobs directly with village development. Addressing a press conference in Shimla on Tuesday, Dr Bindal said the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission (Rural) Act, 2025(VB–G RAM G Act )—cleared by Parliament during the winter session—marked a departure from earlier welfare-focused schemes by embedding employment within long-term rural infrastructure and livelihood projects.
He said the initiative, launched under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was designed to respond to changing socio-economic realities and lessons drawn from two decades of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
While MGNREGA promised 100 days of work, Dr Bindal said average employment under the scheme was about 50 days. In contrast, the new law provides a legal guarantee of 125 days of employment, tied to village development plans prepared at the Gram Sabha level and integrated with the PM Gati Shakti digital platform.
According to him, the scheme is heavily technology-driven, with biometric attendance, multi-level digital monitoring, time-bound payments and a provision for compensation if work or wages are delayed.
Rejecting opposition claims over funding, Dr Bindal said Himalayan states such as Himachal Pradesh would receive central assistance in a 90:10 ratio, compared with 60:40 for other states, reflecting their geographical challenges.
He also cited comparative figures to defend the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance’s record, saying government spending on rural employment had risen sharply since 2014, alongside increases in mandays generated and projects completed.
The new scheme, he said, would focus on rural infrastructure, water conservation, environmental protection and livelihoods, with higher administrative spending to strengthen monitoring and audits.
Dr Bindal accused the Congress party of “misleading” people by focusing on the renaming of schemes, arguing that outcomes mattered more than labels. He said the programme was aligned with the goal of Viksit Bharat 2047 and warned that any delay by state governments in releasing their share of funds would undermine rural development.
