Meghalaya: VB-G RAM-G Act 2025 to empower village councils; BJP rebuts Congress claims

CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG: Amid an intensifying political debate over rural governance and employment, the Meghalaya BJP has sought to firmly set the narrative on the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission–Gramin (VB-GRAM-G) Act, 2025, asserting that the legislation is fundamentally designed to empower village councils with enhanced decision-making authority while strengthening grassroots democracy.

Positioning the Act as a transformative framework rather than a routine policy intervention, the party underlined that the VB-GRAM-G marks a decisive shift towards decentralized governance, rural self-reliance and inclusive development across Meghalaya.

Welcoming the enactment of the VB-GRAM-G Act, 2025, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Meghalaya Pradesh described it as a historic milestone capable of reshaping the socio-economic landscape of rural Meghalaya by placing villages at the centre of planning, execution and growth.

The party maintained that the legislation reflects the broader vision of Viksit Bharat by ensuring that rural communities are not passive beneficiaries but active drivers of development.

State General Secretary of BJP Meghalaya Pradesh, Wankitbok Pohshna, said, “The VB-GRAM-G Act, 2025 is designed to empower village councils with greater decision-making authority. It will boost infrastructure through rural roads, clean water, renewable energy and digital connectivity, and support farmers with modern techniques, access to credit and stronger market linkages. It will not only create jobs through skill development and entrepreneurship programmes for rural youth but also promote inclusivity by ensuring women, marginalized groups and indigenous communities benefit equally. This Act is not just legislation; it is a promise of prosperity for every village in Meghalaya. It bridges tradition with modern governance, ensuring that rural communities thrive while preserving their cultural identity.”

The BJP leader strongly rejected allegations by the Congress party that the Act would erode traditional institutions, centralize power or deprive rural households of employment opportunities. The party asserted that such claims are politically motivated and factually incorrect, stressing that the Act, in fact, safeguards traditional village bodies while simultaneously strengthening their functional capacity. According to the BJP, governance under the VB-GRAM-G framework is decentralized, enabling villages to independently plan and execute development projects suited to local needs.

Pohshna said, “Congress’s narrative is misleading and aimed at obstructing progress. The Congress is attempting to confuse the people of Meghalaya with baseless propaganda. The truth is clear: the VB-GRAM-G Act, 2025 is of the people, for the people and by the people, and will ensure that every village becomes a hub of growth and opportunity.”

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