Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday announced an interim allocation of Rs 95,692.31 crore to states and Union Territories under the newly launched Viksit Bharat GRAMG initiative. This is the amount which was announced in Budget 2026-27.
Chairing a virtual meeting of state rural development ministers, Chouhan said the transition to the new arrangement from July 1, 2026, must be seamless and worker-centric, ensuring that no rural worker is deprived of employment even for a single day. Union Minister of State Chandrasekhar Pemmasani also participated in the meeting.
The minister emphasized that the initiative is not merely a change in programme structure but a measure directly linked to the livelihoods of crores of rural workers. He directed states to ensure uninterrupted employment generation, timely wage payments and protection of workers' statutory rights during the transition period.
According to the allocation announced, Uttar Pradesh received the highest share at Rs 12,221.48 crore, followed by West Bengal with Rs 8,508 crore. Tamil Nadu was allocated Rs 7,957.57 crore, Andhra Pradesh Rs 7,707.21 crore, Rajasthan Rs 7,581.87 crore and Bihar Rs 6,715.83 crore. Madhya Pradesh was allotted Rs 6,252.03 crore, while Karnataka received Rs 5,709.09 crore.
The minister said the funds would reach nearly 2.80 lakh Gram Panchayats across the country, enabling local bodies to undertake development projects and generate employment while creating durable rural assets.
Highlighting preparedness for implementation, Chouhan said many states had made significant progress in Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), e-KYC, face authentication and SMS-based information systems. He noted that 26 states had already made budgetary provisions aligned with the objectives of “Viksit Bharat–Gramin Bharat”.
The minister urged states to issue notifications quickly, approve sufficient development works in advance and ensure 100 per cent e-KYC compliance. He also directed states to identify agricultural peak seasons and conduct awareness and capacity-building programmes at district and block levels.
Chouhan said works would be selected through Gram Panchayats and Gram Sabhas, ensuring local participation in development planning. He invited all states to participate in the National Rural Development Conference scheduled at the PUSA Institute in New Delhi on June 28-29 to discuss effective implementation of the initiative.