What happened (officially reported)

The Ministry of Rural Development furnished state/UT-wise figures for two rural employment-related tracks. Annexure-I provides state/UT-wise funds allocated and released under the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM-G) starting from 01.07.2026. The annexure covers the financial year 2026-27 (as on 16.07.2026) and includes interim allocation, “Mother” sanctions issued as the first installment, and figures for funds for social audit and central administration. Annexure-II provides state/UT-wise details of funds released under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS) for FY 2021-22 to FY 2025-26. Annexure-III and Annexure-IV provide employment uptake and output under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS—state/UT-wise persons who availed employment and state/UT-wise persondays generated—also for FY 2021-22 to FY 2025-26. The information was provided by the Minister of State for Rural Development, Shri Kamlesh Paswan, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.

Background and earlier position

Mahatma Gandhi NREGS is a long-running rural employment guarantee scheme in which fund release and implementation can be affected by compliance conditions. In the provided annexure note for West Bengal, the government records that NREGS-related fund release was stopped under Section 27 due to continued non-compliance, reflecting a compliance-and-safeguards logic in programme administration. VB-G RAM-G is reported as commencing on 01.07.2026, indicating a newer programme framework under the same rural livelihoods policy space.

What changed now (2026 reporting under VB-G RAM-G and continuity for NREGS outcomes)

The current Rajya Sabha written reply changes the reporting emphasis by (1) introducing VB-G RAM-G state/UT-wise allocation and release reporting since its start on 01.07.2026 and (2) continuing to present multi-year NREGS outcomes for FY 2021-22 to FY 2025-26, including persons employed and persondays generated in lakh. The West Bengal annexure note also records a resumption date for NREGS implementation after a funding halt that began in March 2022, while VB-G RAM-G implementation is recorded to start from 01.07.2026.

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