According to Chouhan, the new scheme increases the legally guaranteed employment period for rural workers from 100 days to 125 days annually, marking a significant enhancement in income security for millions of labourers. He stressed that this guarantee is backed by law, reinforcing workers’ rights rather than weakening them. The scheme also strengthens provisions for unemployment allowance, ensuring that workers are compensated if employment is not provided within the stipulated time.
The minister highlighted that safeguards have been built into the programme to address long-standing complaints over delayed wage payments. Under the revised framework, workers will be entitled to additional compensation if there are delays in disbursing wages, a move aimed at improving accountability and trust in the system.
Chouhan said the government has proposed an allocation exceeding ₹1.51 lakh crore for the scheme in the current year, underlining its scale and intent. The funds are intended not only to sustain employment generation but also to drive comprehensive rural development. Planned works under the scheme include water conservation projects, strengthening of rural infrastructure, livelihood-based activities, and initiatives focused on mitigating the impact of natural disasters.
He further explained that the structure of the 125-day employment guarantee has been designed carefully to ensure that agricultural operations, particularly those involving small and marginal farmers, are not disrupted during peak farming seasons. The legal framework, he said, balances employment security with agricultural needs while protecting the rights of the rural poor.
A key administrative change under the scheme is the increase in permissible administrative expenditure from 6 percent to 9 percent. Chouhan noted that this adjustment would allow nearly ₹13,000 crore from the proposed budget to be used for timely and adequate payment of wages to panchayat secretaries, employment assistants, and technical staff. Strengthening frontline administration, he said, is essential for effective implementation and quality execution of works on the ground.
Concluding his remarks, the Union minister described the “Viksit Bharat: G-Ram-G Scheme” as a cornerstone of the government’s vision for a developed India, with self-reliant, poverty-free villages at its core. He said the initiative is designed to reinforce rural livelihoods, accelerate development, and provide a more robust employment guarantee, signaling a broader shift in the country’s rural policy framework.
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