Telangana Govt Constitutes Cabinet Sub Committee on VB G RAM G Roll Out

Hyderabad: The state government on Thursday constituted a Cabinet sub-committee to examine the implications of the Centre's proposed overhaul of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), renamed Viksit Bharat G RAM G and scheduled to be implemented from July 1. The state government has opposed the move and urged the Centre to continue the MGNREGS framework without change.

The decision was taken by the Cabinet on Thursday in view of concerns over the impact that the proposed reforms could have on rural labourers and the financial burden they may impose on state governments. The Cabinet sub-committee comprises ministers N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, Tummala Nageswara Rao, Danasari ‘Seethakka’ Anasuya and G. Vivek Venkataswamy.

Briefing the media at Secretariat, panchayat raj and rural development minister Seethakka alleged that the Centre was not only weakening the law that guarantees 100 days of wage employment to rural workers but was also attempting to erase the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi by removing his name from the scheme. She said, the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission Grameen (VB G RAM G) model could adversely affect employment opportunities for rural labourers while placing additional financial and administrative burdens on state governments.

Seethakka said the Telangana Assembly had already passed a resolution opposing the proposed changes. Despite the state's objections, the Centre was exerting pressure on states to implement the new system from July 1. Against this backdrop, the Cabinet decided to constitute the sub-committee to conduct a comprehensive study of the proposed reforms and safeguard the interests of Telangana.

The committee is to examine the modalities being adopted by other states, assess the financial implications for Telangana, consult stakeholders and recommending the state's future course of action.

She also expressed concern over growing technical hurdles in the implementation of MGNREGS, claiming that several complaints had been received from districts regarding the requirement to capture workers' photographs online twice a day, which she said was discouraging participation in the programme.

Seethakka said the state government was implementing the employment guarantee programme effectively. The state had generated 7.5 crore person-days of employment during 2025-26 and had achieved the same figure of 2.5 crore person-days in two months in April and May in current fiscal 2026-27.

Seethakka said Telangana would write to the Centre on the issue and that a final decision regarding the implementation of the VB G RAM G scheme would be taken only after consultations with other states and after the Cabinet sub-committee submitted its recommendations.