The Union government has written to the Chief Secretaries of all States and Union Territories, asking them to organise special gram sabha meetings to “create widespread awareness regarding key provisions and legal rights” under the newly-enacted Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgaar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act, 2025.
The new jobs guarantee scheme, hailed by the Union government as a “historic” piece of legislation “aligned with the national vision of Viksit Bharat @ 2047”, was introduced and passed in Parliament during this Winter Session, replacing the 20-year-old MGNREGA amidst protests and objections from across Opposition parties, scholars, and activists.
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On December 21, the Secretaries of the Department of Rural Development and the Ministry of Panchayati Raj jointly signed a letter to all Chief Secretaries of States and Union Territories, asking them to hold special gram sabha meetings by December 26, document the proceedings, and upload them in real-time with timestamped and geotagged photos and videos on the Panchayat Nirnay app.
The government went on to say that the Ministry of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj will “closely monitor the progress” of this effort, adding that this would ensure “effective dissemination of information and smooth transition to the new statutory framework”.
