TIRUPATI: Union Minister for Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday announced that the government will spend Rs 7.5 lakh crore under Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission - Gramin (VB-G RAM G) in five years. He formally launched the scheme at an event held at Mukkavaripalle in Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh in the presence of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, Union Ministers of State for Rural Development Kamlesh Paswan and Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan revealed that under the scheme, on the very first day (July 1), more than 5 lakh people have been provided employment at over 50,000 locations across the country
He said, unlike the UPA government, which took three years to implement MGNREGA across the country, the NDA government rolled out the scheme in a single day. He also stated that while the UPA spent Rs 2.13 lakh crore on MGNREGA, the NDA government spent Rs 8.63 lakh crore in 10 years, and it will spend another Rs 7.5 lakh crore in five years. The Union minister said under VB-G RAM G, labourers will get 125 days of employment and the wages will not be less than Rs 300. He recalled that when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister, the 'Total Rural Employment Scheme' was created. That scheme, through successive transformations, became 'MGNREGA' and has now become ‘VB - G RAM G’.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan distributed ‘VB G-RAM-G’ cards to beneficiary workers.
The national launch of the scheme was held with the laying of the foundation stone for a farm pond by the Union minister and the Chief Minister. (IANS)
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