DIBRUGARH: The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 was driving a village-first and village-led development revolution, placing rural India at the heart of the country's growth strategy.
"Viksit Bharat 2047 is not a slogan but a national mission. It is a revolution that begins in our villages, strengthens rural livelihoods and builds the foundation of a self-reliant India. When villages prosper, the nation progresses. This vision of our dynamic Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji ensures that development reaches the last mile, empowers farmers, workers and youth, and transforms rural India into the driving force of national growth," Sonowal said while addressing a press conference here on Wednesday.
Highlighting the Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), or 'VB-G RAM G,' the union minister said that the new framework ensured dignified livelihoods for poor and backward families, with a statutory guarantee of 125 days of employment per rural household and weekly wage payments to enhance income security.
"The rural economy of 2005 and that of 2025 are vastly different. Our needs have evolved, and governance must evolve with them. VB-G RAM G reflects this change by linking employment with water security, infrastructure creation, connectivity, and long-term productivity," Sonowal said.
Sonowal also said that rural poverty had declined sharply over the past decade, from 25.7 percent in 2011-12 to 8.36 percent in 2023-24, supported by improved connectivity, direct benefit transfer, and technology-driven governance.
"During the Congress regime, MNREGA became synonymous with corruption. Today it has transformed into a transparent, technology-enabled system. Of the total Rs 11.74 lakh crore spent under MNREGA, Rs 8.53 lakh crore has been contributed by the Modi government - the highest by any government in India's history," Sonowal said.
Launching a political attack, the minister said, "Congress opposes the idea of 'Viksit Bharat' because its politics is rooted in dynasty, not development. For decades, power remained confined to a few families, while the aspirations of the poor and marginalized were ignored."
Sonowal said that in contrast, the BJP's commitment to Garib Kalyan and Vikas had emerged as the new political culture of New India, where governance was driven by performance, transparency, and empowerment of the last person in the queue, stated a press release.
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