First instalment of ₹25,863 crore under VB-GRAM G released
The Indian government has released the first installment of ₹25,863 crore for the new rural employment program, VB-GRAM G. The scheme replaces MGNREGA and utilizes GIS-based planning tools like Yuktdhara and PM Gati Shakti to map rural assets.
Why it matters
The transition to a new, technology-integrated rural employment framework marks a significant shift in how the Indian government manages social welfare and infrastructure planning.
Union Minister for Rural Development and Agriculture Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday (July 5, 2026) released the first instalment amounting to ₹25,863 crore to all States for the rural employment programme under the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act [VB-GRAM G], even as concerns remain over the overtly centralised planning for the programme.
The article reports on the funding release while acknowledging concerns regarding centralized planning.
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