The AAP government in Punjab has issued a June 26 gazette notification to implement the Viksit Bharat Guarantee Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Gramin (VB-G RAM G) scheme, despite previously opposing the initiative. According to reports from Business Standard, the VB-G RAM G scheme will come into force from July 1, 2026 in the state, offering 125 days of statutory wage employment guarantee to rural households whose adult members volunteer for unskilled manual work. The notification was issued by the Department of Rural Development and Panchayats under the provisions of the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rural Employment and Livelihood Mission (Grameen) Act, 2025. As per the latest Punjab Government Gazette Extraordinary, the scheme is formally notified as VB-G-RAMG Scheme, Punjab-2026, which guarantees 125 days of employment per financial year for rural households and will be implemented across the notified rural areas of Punjab. The scheme replaces the existing MGNREGA framework and aims to align Punjab's rural development programmes with the national vision of Viksit Bharat @2047 while focusing on creating rural infrastructure and expanding livelihood opportunities in villages.
The Bhagwant Mann government's decision to implement the scheme contradicts its earlier stance, as reported by Business Standard. In December 2025, the AAP government had convened a special session of the Punjab Assembly which unanimously passed a resolution against the VB-G RAM G Act. On December 30, 2025, the Assembly had accused the BJP-led central government of taking away the livelihood of poor and Dalit labourers by scrapping MGNREGA under a deliberate conspiracy. The House had recommended that the Punjab government urge the Centre to immediately restore the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to its original right-based form. Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring has now questioned the apparent change in stance, stating that 'the same government has now notified the implementation of the scheme, effectively negating its own resolution'. The state government had previously described the legislation as 'anti-labour' and argued that it would adversely affect rural workers and poor families, with the Assembly resolution specifically criticizing the change from a fully centrally funded programme to a 60:40 Centre-State cost-sharing arrangement.
The opposition Congress has strongly criticized the AAP government's decision to implement the scheme, as reported by Business Standard. Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring has questioned the timing and circumstances of the implementation, asking whether it had something to do with the ongoing controversy related to the chief minister. Warring has called upon AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal to clarify whether he had approved the implementation of the scheme in Punjab and questioned whether the implementation was linked to recent political developments. The Congress has accused the AAP government of implementing the scheme under a 'deal and compromise' with the BJP, suggesting political motivations behind the sudden change in stance. Warring has also alleged that the Chief Minister was attempting to 'buy peace' with the BJP' after coming under pressure, maintaining there appeared to be no justification for implementing the scheme after the state legislature had unanimously resolved to reject it. The political controversy has erupted as the state government formally notified the scheme despite the unanimous Assembly resolution rejecting it, raising questions about the government's commitment to its earlier stance on rural employment guarantees.
The Punjab government has not yet issued any official response to the Congress allegations regarding the scheme implementation. Warring has asked what understanding or 'deal' the Punjab government had reached with the BJP that prompted it to implement the scheme after previously opposing it. The Congress leader has called upon AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal to publicly explain the party's position, adding that continued silence would strengthen allegations that the AAP had entered into an 'opportunistic deal' with the BJP. The political controversy has erupted as the state government formally notified the scheme despite the unanimous Assembly resolution rejecting it, raising questions about the government's commitment to its earlier stance on rural employment guarantees. The latest notification stands in contrast to the Punjab Government's earlier position, with the scheme offering 125 days of employment guarantee compared to 100 days under MGNREGA, while the state had previously criticized the revised funding structure that would place additional pressure on Punjab's finances.
