Karnataka: Min Khandre sets weekend deadline for VB-G Ram G SOPs, implementation guidelines
Bengaluru, Aug 5
Karnataka Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister, Eshwar B. Khandre, on Wednesday directed officials to issue comprehensive Standard Operating Procedures and implementation guidelines for the revamped Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Act, 2025, rural employment scheme by the end of this week.
The order has been issued following complaints that rural workers who earlier received employment under MGNREGA are not getting adequate work under the new programme, he said.
The Minister emphasised that as state is reeling under severe drought situation, the government has taken the matter seriously.
He further said, "At a time when poor in rural areas, oppressed, specially abled persons, women and Dalits do not get employed at this crisis time, the objective of the VB-G RAM G scheme will fail."
He has instructed authorities to strictly implement the scheme, conduct door-to-door awareness campaigns, ensure employment for at least 5 lakh people daily, generate a minimum of 1.5 crore person-days of work every month, and create durable rural assets across the state.
In a directive issued to the Commissioner of the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department, Khandre said the state government had launched the VB-G RAM G scheme with the objective of providing additional employment opportunities to rural labourers beyond the scope of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
The minister said complaints had been received from several parts of the state that labourers who had earlier been getting work under MGNREGA were not receiving sufficient employment under the new scheme.
He noted that the programme had not yet gained the expected momentum due to the absence of clear operational guidelines and inadequate awareness among officials and beneficiaries.
Khandre instructed the department to immediately prepare detailed SOPs covering all aspects of implementation, including convergence with MGNREGA, technical and administrative approvals, wage payments, execution of works, maintenance of the 60:40 labour-material ratio, monitoring mechanisms and asset creation.
The SOPs should be circulated to all Gram Panchayats, taluk and district-level officials by the end of the week, he said.
He also directed officials to launch an intensive awareness campaign by conducting door-to-door visits to inform rural households about the scheme and encourage eligible workers to enrol and seek employment under VB-G RAM G.
The minister said the department should ensure that the scheme generates employment for at least 5 lakh workers every day and creates not less than 1.5 crore person-days of employment every month.
He stressed that implementation should focus on creating permanent and productive community assets that contribute to rural development.
Khandre further instructed officials to closely monitor the programme, remove implementation bottlenecks and ensure effective coordination at all administrative levels so that the objectives of the VB-G RAM G scheme are achieved across Karnataka.
— IANS
Reader Comments
The minister's concern about Dalits, women and specially-abled people is genuine. In our taluk, the old MGNREGA workers are being pushed aside for the new scheme without proper guidance. The door-to-door awareness campaign is a good move, but let's be realistic - 5 lakh workers daily is an ambitious target. The SOPs need to be practical, not just theoretical. Let's see how the implementation goes on ground. 🤞
This is a massive undertaking. Generating 1.5 crore person-days monthly in a drought-affected state is commendable but will require robust monitoring. The key is ensuring the scheme doesn't just become MGNREGA renamed - it needs to create durable assets that actually benefit rural communities. The deadline for SOPs within a week seems tight, but the minister seems determined. Let's hope the bureaucracy delivers this time.
As someone who has worked with rural communities in north Karnataka, I can say the drought situation is truly severe. People are migrating to cities because there's no work. The minister's emphasis on convergence with MGNREGA is essential - why should workers be confused between two schemes when both are government programmes? Also, special focus on Dalits and women is long overdue. We need transparent wage payment systems and proper grievance redressal. Let's hope the SOPs are comprehensive.
The minister's frustration is valid. We keep launching schemes without proper groundwork, and the poor suffer. I appreciate the deadline and the clear targets, but I wish they had thought about this BEFORE launching the scheme, not after complaints poured in. Anyway, better late than never. Let's monitor how many panchayats actually get the SOPs by Friday!
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