Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on 3 July 2025 said the newly enacted Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (Gramin), or VB-G RAM G, would be instrumental in realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Viksit Bharat @2047 vision by deepening rural employment and livelihood security across the state. The scheme came into force nationally on 1 July 2025, replacing the earlier framework under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

Key Changes Under VB-G RAM G

The most immediate shift for rural workers is an increase in guaranteed employment days — from 100 days under MGNREGA to 125 days per year under the new scheme. The daily wage has also been revised upward, from ₹283 to ₹300. Chief Minister Singh made these announcements while addressing the state-level Jan Sammelan-cum-Launching Programme, held at Salam Tharojam Eco Tourism Park in Imphal West district on Thursday.

The programme was organised by the state government's Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj. The nationwide launch was led by Union Minister for Rural Development and Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan from Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh.

What the Deputy CM Said

Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen, who also holds the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj portfolio, participated via video conferencing. She said real development begins in villages and called for VB-G RAM G to serve as a convergence platform — integrating agriculture, horticulture, watershed development, soil conservation, the Jal Jeevan Mission, rural water conservation, and National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) initiatives.

Kipgen said such integration would help create 'durable, productive and climate-resilient assets' for rural communities while reinforcing sustainable livelihoods.

Implementation Framework

Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Commissioner Sumant Singh said the VB-G RAM G Act, 2025 was passed by Parliament on 19 December 2025. Under the new structure, every Gram Panchayat will prepare its own development plan and be graded under four categories — A, B, C, and D — by the state government. The entire programme will be implemented through the PM Gati Shakti geospatial portal, bringing digital oversight to grassroots project execution.

Political and Social Backdrop

MLA Sorokhaibam Rajen Singh used the occasion to laud Chief Minister Singh's peace initiatives, particularly his visits to areas previously inaccessible due to law-and-order concerns — a reference to the ongoing ethnic conflict that has strained Manipur's administrative reach since May 2023. The launch of a rural employment scheme in this context carries added significance, as displacement and livelihood disruption have been among the conflict's most persistent consequences.

State Arts, Culture and Tourism Minister Khuraijam Loken Singh, along with MLAs Karam Shyam Singh, Sapam Ranjan Singh, and Sapam Kunjakeswor (Keba) Singh, attended the programme. Chief Minister Singh and other dignitaries also planted saplings as part of an environmental conservation drive linked to the event.

What Comes Next

With Gram Panchayats now mandated to draft their own development plans under a graded framework, the quality of implementation will depend heavily on administrative capacity at the block and district levels. Manipur's challenging terrain and ongoing security situation make execution particularly complex. How effectively the state integrates the scheme's convergence mandate — linking rural employment to water, agriculture, and climate resilience — will be closely watched in the months ahead.