Centre rolls out VB-G RAM G, hikes Bengal rural daily wage to Rs 300
Times of India | 2 July 2026
Kolkata: Job card holders in Bengal under the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) programme will receive a daily wage of Rs 300. The Centre on Wednesday rolled out the VB-G RAM G programme nationwide, including Bengal, extending the employment guarantee from 100 days under MGNREGA to 125 days for every eligible rural household.
“Today the Centre notified revised wage rates under the VB-G RAM G Act, 2025, coinciding with the nationwide rollout of the new rural employment guarantee programme. The revised wage structure, effective from July 1, introduces a minimum daily wage of Rs 300 in Bengal. As the scheme will be funded in a 60:40 ratio between the Centre and the state, the state govt will have to contribute Rs 120, while the remaining Rs 180 will be contributed by the Centre,” a senior state govt official said.
The Ministry of Rural Development has approved a central allocation of Rs 8,508 crore, while the state govt has earmarked Rs 5,672 crore as its share for the implementation of VB-G RAM G in Bengal in this fiscal.
Under the expenditure pattern, 60% of the funds will be spent on wages and 40% on materials, with restrictions on labour-displacing machinery to ensure higher employment generation.
Welcoming the rollout, chief minister Suvendu Adhikari said the state govt is working to fulfil PM Modi’s guarantees. “Today also marks the start of the VB-G RAM G. In Bengal, 2.56 crore people living in villages will get 125 days of work; the daily wage will be Rs 300 for unskilled labour, Rs 450 for semi-skilled, and Rs 600 for skilled work,” Adhikari said.
The chief minister added that a high-level meeting will be held on Thursday with all ministers and HoDs to formulate a comprehensive roadmap for the smooth implementation of all Central govt schemes.
Meanwhile, ahead of the nationwide rollout of VB-G RAM G, state panchayat and rural development minister Dilip Ghosh on Tuesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi.
“I met the Prime Minister, the railway minister, the finance minister and other officials. Govt officials are positive towards us. Everyone is thinking about the smooth functioning of the govt in Bengal, and everyone is ready to extend their cooperation. In the state budget, Rs 51,000 crore has been allotted to the panchayat and rural development department, which is significantly higher,” Ghosh said.