The Centre's new rural employment guarantee scheme, VB-G RAM G, has enrolled 10.88 crore active workers and generated more than 31.69 crore person-days of employment since its launch on 1 July 2026, according to an official government factsheet released on Tuesday, 29 September. The data, compiled as of 24 September 2026, underscores a rapid ramp-up in the scheme's first three months.

Key Numbers at a Glance

Women account for 61.65% of the scheme's workforce — a figure the government has highlighted as evidence of inclusive outreach. Works currently under execution have touched 97.17 lakh, while approved works stand ready to absorb demand from an additional 73.24 lakh prospective workers. Close to 2.31 lakh Gram Panchayats are actively executing projects across the country.

An average daily wage of ₹283.24 per person is being paid, and 3.76 crore direct benefit transfers (DBT) into workers' bank accounts have already been completed in the first three months — a metric the Centre has cited to demonstrate payment efficiency under the revamped digital architecture.

Financial Allocation and Disbursements

A total of ₹93,841 crore has been allocated to states and Union Territories as an interim allocation for FY 2026-27. Of this, a Mother Sanction of ₹25,880 crore has been released as the first instalment to states and UTs. The factsheet describes the transition from Mahatma Gandhi NREGA to VB-G RAM G as 'seamless and disruption-free', with all digital systems operational from day one of the new framework.

What the Scheme Guarantees

VB-G RAM G provides a statutory guarantee of 125 days of wage employment per rural household every financial year, an increase over the previous NREGA entitlement. The guarantee covers every rural household whose adult members volunteer for unskilled manual work. The scheme focuses on four thematic priorities: water security, core rural infrastructure, livelihood-related infrastructure, and mitigation of extreme weather events.

Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans: The Institutional Reform

A defining structural change under VB-G RAM G is the introduction of Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans (VGPPs) — integrated, evidence-based development blueprints prepared at the grassroots level. These plans are developed with the active participation of the Gram Sabha and Gram Panchayat, enabling villages to map their actual development gaps, catalogue existing assets, and prioritise works accordingly. The Centre describes this as institutionalising a 'Whole-of-Government' approach through convergence-driven and saturation-oriented planning.

With the scheme barely three months old, all eyes will be on whether the pace of worker enrolment, project execution, and timely wage disbursement is sustained as demand peaks in the lean agricultural season.