HT Correspondent
JORHAT, Jan 22: Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Textiles Pabitra Margherita on Thursday said the newly introduced Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rojgar and Ajeevika Mission Grameen (VB–G Ram G Act) gives concrete shape to Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of strong, self-reliant villages by translating ideals into actionable policy.
Addressing a press conference at the Circuit House here, Margherita announced a special funding structure for Assam and other northeastern and Himalayan foothill states under the scheme.
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He said that unlike the standard 60:40 cost-sharing model between the Centre and states, the northeastern region would contribute only 10 per cent of the funds, with the Centre bearing the remaining 90 per cent.
He described the move as a clear indication of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to the development of the region.
Highlighting a major provision of the Act, the minister said it replaces the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and increases the guaranteed number of workdays in rural areas from 100 to 125 days annually.
He termed this enhancement a landmark step that would significantly strengthen income security for rural households.
Margherita said the scheme is anchored in direct benefit transfer, ensuring that wages are credited directly into beneficiaries’ bank accounts.
This mechanism, he added, has reduced leakages and improved transparency and accountability in the delivery of benefits.
Describing the legislation as a transformative shift in rural development policy, the minister said the Act integrates employment generation, water conservation, rural economic growth and climate resilience into a single, cohesive framework.
He noted that villages which once waited endlessly for development have now evolved into centres of awareness, stability and productive activity.
On decentralisation, Margherita said Gram Sabhas have been vested with greater powers, enabling villagers to identify, approve and monitor development works themselves.
This, he said, has effectively transferred decision-making authority to the grassroots.
Responding to criticism from the Congress, the Minister accused the party of reducing Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals to mere symbolism.
He said the present government has focused on implementing Gandhi’s principles on the ground rather than invoking them rhetorically, adding that the new Act aims to build self-reliant villages in line with Gandhian philosophy.
Margherita also alleged that rural development programmes under previous Congress-led governments were marred by corruption and inefficiency, claiming that only a fraction of funds reached intended beneficiaries.
He said the current system has removed middlemen and ensured greater accountability.
Taking a swipe at the Opposition, the minister said Congress and its allies appeared more preoccupied with internal disputes than public concerns, remarking that infighting over seat-sharing had become their primary focus.
