Hyderabad: The Telangana government will write to the Union government seeking a two-month postponement of the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAMG), and has raised strong objections to a provision that requires a 60-day suspension of employment works during the agricultural season.
The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister Seethakka at Praja Bhavan on Saturday. The state had earlier passed an Assembly resolution opposing the scheme and forwarded it to the Centre.
Officials said the Centre has asked states to implement VB-G RAMG from July 1 and has already allocated funds, while several states have issued notifications for rollout. Telangana officials warned, however, that the state may be compelled to adopt the new framework to continue receiving at least 60 percent of central funds for employment-guarantee works.
Seethakka flagged particular concern about the 60-day suspension clause, saying it is unsuitable for Telangana because the agricultural season overlaps with the monsoon. She said the pause would disrupt large-scale plantation drives such as Vanamahotsavam and other afforestation activities carried out under MGNREGS, undermining the Centre’s Green India objectives and harming tribal and remote communities that rely on these works for livelihood.
The state also urged that the Centre bear the cost of ongoing employment projects, buildings and other infrastructure until their completion.
Telangana plans to request a two-month postponement to give states time to adapt to the revised framework. If implementing the scheme becomes unavoidable, the government will place the matter before the state cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, for a final decision.