Shillong: In a significant policy shift, the Meghalaya State Cabinet has officially replaced the long-standing Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with a new provincial framework designed to boost rural infrastructure and employment.
Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma announced that the Central Government has sanctioned ₹1,100 crore to fund the rollout of the newly adopted Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), or VB-G RAM G. The fiscal allocation covers a nine-month period up to 31 March 2027 and operates on a 90:10 funding split between New Delhi and the state, with Meghalaya bearing any additional expenditure exceeding the initial grant.
The newly introduced VB-G RAM G Act, 2025, substantially upgrades the previous welfare architecture. It raises the statutory guarantee for annual rural employment from 100 to 125 days per household. Furthermore, the catalogue of permissible public works has expanded from 250 to over 320 activities. Notably, the new legislation permits the construction of local schools and rural childcare facilities, projects strictly barred under the previous system, while intensifying focus on water management, forest conservation, and rural road networks.