VB-G RAM G Broadens Rural Works from 266 to 375; 181 Focus on Agriculture and Allied Activities

The Ministry of Rural Development has notified 375 permissible works under the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) [VB–G RAM G] Act, 2025, expanding the scope of rural works by 41 percent compared with the 266 works available under the previous MGNREGA framework.

Agriculture and allied activities have a significant place in the new framework, with 181 of the 375 permissible works related to agriculture and allied sectors. These include works covering water, land development, plantations, livestock and other productive assets that can directly benefit farmers.

The new Schedule reorganises permissible works under four broad pillars -  Water Security, Core Rural Infrastructure, Livelihood-related Infrastructure, and Special Works for Extreme Weather Events and Disaster Preparedness. The government said the framework is intended to move beyond a conventional list of asset types and link wage employment with durable rural assets and measurable development outcomes.

The Water Security category has the largest number of works at 128. It includes check dams, gully plugs, underground dykes, recharge shafts, injection wells, rejuvenation of rivers and water channels, reclamation of waterlogged land and renovation of field water-distribution channels. Drip and sprinkler irrigation, rooftop rainwater harvesting, tankas, ice-stupas and artificial glaciers are also covered.

The Core Rural Infrastructure category comprises 111 works, including solar street lighting, waste-to-wealth recycling plants, greywater treatment units, rural libraries, veterinary and rural health centres, Common Service Centres, youth centres and school infrastructure. Repair and maintenance of Jal Jeevan Mission water-supply infrastructure is also included.

Another major shift is the greater emphasis on rural livelihoods. The Schedule provides for 98 livelihood-related works, accounting for 26 percent of the total compared with only 1.1 percent under the previous framework. These include agro-processing, value addition, cleaning, grading and packaging facilities, cold storage, dairy infrastructure, mushroom sheds, sericulture sheds, poly-houses, aquaculture structures and market yards.

For the first time, 38 works have been placed under a dedicated disaster preparedness and climate resilience category. These cover flood shelters, embankment strengthening, retaining walls, restoration of rural roads and community assets after disasters, and forest-fire management.

The framework also identifies 107 works for Antyodaya and vulnerable households, including 68 individual-beneficiary works. In addition, 36 works each have been tagged for Nari Shakti and Yuva Shakti, covering women's collectives, SHGs, youth centres, skill development and enterprise-linked infrastructure.

All works will be planned through Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans based on local needs and approved by the Gram Sabha. Digital tracking through the Viksit Bharat National Rural Infrastructure Stack is intended to facilitate convergence among schemes and prevent duplication of investments.