VB-G RAM G Comes into Force in West Bengal from July 1

SOUMITRA NANDI, MP,  July 1, 2026, Kolkata : The Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act, 2025, will come into force in West Bengal from July 1, replacing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005, in all notified rural areas of the state.

Aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047, the scheme, implemented by the Panchayats and Rural Development Department, is expected to benefit around 2.56 crore job card holders. It guarantees 125 days of wage employment to every eligible rural household annually.

Rural works will be planned through the Viksit Gram Panchayat Plan, integrated with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan.

The scheme will be funded in a 60:40 ratio by the Centre and the state. The Ministry of Rural Development has approved a Central share of Rs 8,508 crore, while the state has allocated Rs 5,672 crore.

Wage payments will be made through the DBT-SPARSH system and non-wage payments through the SNA-SPARSH module.

Works will focus on water security, core rural infrastructure, livelihood infrastructure and mitigation of extreme weather events.

The expenditure pattern will comprise 60 per cent wages and 40 per cent material costs, while the use of labour-displacing machinery has been restricted to maximise employment.

District Magistrates will serve as District Programme Coordinators, Sub-Divisional Officers as Sub-Divisional Programme Coordinators and Block Development Officers as Programme Officers, with Gram Panchayats responsible for registration, planning, execution and record maintenance.

To ensure the availability of agricultural labour during peak farming seasons, a mandatory no-work period of up to 60 days covering sowing and harvesting will be notified each financial year.

Every adult member whose name appears in the Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Card will be entitled to seek unskilled manual work from the Gram Panchayat.

Employment must be provided within 15 days, failing which unemployment allowance will be payable.

Workers will also receive delay compensation if wages are not credited within 15 days of muster roll closure.

The scheme provides for annual physical and financial audits, mandatory social audits in every Gram Panchayat, district Ombudspersons, inspections at all administrative levels and technology-based monitoring through geo-tagging, biometric attendance, MIS-based tracking and public disclosure of records.

At the state level, implementation will be monitored by the West Bengal State Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Council and a State Level Steering Committee headed by the Chief Secretary.

Meanwhile, the state government has also revised minimum wages across 31 scheduled industries and service sectors with effect from July 1 under a two-zone classification.

Zone A covers municipal areas, notified areas, development authority regions and townships around thermal power plants, while Zone B covers the rest of the state.

Under the revised rates, monthly wages for unskilled workers have been fixed at Rs 10,558 in Zone A and Rs 9,760 in Zone B.

Semi-skilled workers will receive Rs 11,615 and Rs 10,733, skilled workers Rs 12,777 and Rs 11,807, and highly skilled workers Rs 14,054 and Rs 12,990 in Zones A and B, respectively.

The revised wages will apply to sectors including automobile garages, biscuit manufacturing, bottling units, clinical laboratories, courier services, hotels and restaurants, IT, security services, beauty parlours and the wood and furniture industry, based on an eight-hour workday and a maximum 48-hour work week.