Intro
Khandre ordered immediate SOPs to strengthen rural employment and improve scheme implementation statewide.
CH NEWS
BENGALURU
Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Eshwar B. Khandre on Wednesday directed officials to issue comprehensive Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and implementation guidelines for the revamped Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 (VB-G RAM G) by the end of this week.
The directive follows complaints that rural labourers who earlier received employment under MGNREGA were not getting adequate work under the new programme. The Minister said the issue had become more serious as Karnataka continued to face drought conditions affecting rural livelihoods.
Khandre instructed the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department to ensure strict implementation of the scheme through clear operational guidelines, improved monitoring and extensive awareness campaigns. He directed officials to conduct door-to-door outreach programmes to educate eligible rural households about the scheme and encourage them to seek employment.
The Minister also set ambitious targets, directing the department to provide employment to at least five lakh workers every day and generate 1.5 crore person-days of work every month. He stressed that the programme should focus on creating durable community assets while maintaining the prescribed 60:40 labour-to-material ratio.
He asked officials to prepare detailed SOPs covering convergence with MGNREGA, technical and administrative approvals, wage payments, execution of works, monitoring mechanisms and asset creation. The guidelines are to be circulated to all Gram Panchayats and district-level officials before the weekend.
Khandre also instructed authorities to closely monitor implementation, remove bottlenecks and strengthen coordination at every administrative level to ensure the scheme benefits poor families, women, Dalits, specially-abled persons and other vulnerable groups.
Quote
“Unless employment reaches the rural poor during this difficult period, the objective of the VB-G RAM G scheme will not be achieved.”
Eshwar B. Khandre, RDPR Minister
Rural Jobs Plan Accelerated
- Deadline: End of this week
- Daily employment target: 5 lakh workers
- Monthly work target: 1.5 crore person-days
- Focus: SOPs and awareness campaign
- Priority: Rural poor, women, Dalits and specially-abled persons
BOX
Key directions
Khandre directed officials to prepare detailed SOPs for the VB-G RAM G scheme, launch door-to-door awareness drives and ensure wider participation across rural Karnataka. The guidelines will cover wage payments, technical approvals, convergence with MGNREGA, monitoring and asset creation. The department has been asked to provide employment to at least five lakh workers daily while generating 1.5 crore person-days of work every month.