Govt notifies 375 permissible works under VB-G RAM G scheme; water security gets biggest share

The Rural Development Ministry on Monday notified 375 permissible works under the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), or VB-G RAM G.

The notification, issued on October 5, provides for works across water security, core rural infrastructure, livelihood-related infrastructure, and special works to mitigate extreme weather events and strengthen disaster preparedness.

“The new Schedule represents a 41 percent expansion over the 266 works under the previous framework,” the ministry of rural development said in a statement.

The largest category is water-related works, with 128 permissible works, followed by 111 works under core rural infrastructure, 98 under livelihood-related infrastructure and 38 under special works for extreme weather events and disaster preparedness.

The water security category covers construction and maintenance of canals, flood and diversion channels, check dams, gully plugs and underground dykes, besides rejuvenation of rivers, rivulets and nallahs.

It also includes rejuvenation of ponds and traditional water bodies, percolation tanks, recharge pits and shafts, injection wells and water harvesting structures.

Ice stupas or artificial glaciers for water conservation and irrigation have also been included.

The schedule provides for drip and sprinkler irrigation systems, field water-distribution channels and reclamation of waterlogged land. It also covers afforestation and plantation works linked to soil and moisture conservation, including bamboo, mangrove, coconut, rubber and agro-forestry plantations.

Under core rural infrastructure, the notified works include construction and maintenance of rural roads, culverts, footpaths and other village connectivity facilities, as well as gram panchayat buildings, anganwadi centres, rural libraries and health and veterinary centres.

The list also includes school infrastructure such as additional classrooms, laboratories, toilets, kitchen sheds, compound walls and playgrounds.

Waste management and renewable energy infrastructure form another component, with works such as recycling plants, segregation sheds, compost pits, greywater treatment units, solar street lighting and biogas plants included in the schedule.

The schedule also provides for rural parks, bus stands, parking sheds, drinking water kiosks, seed banks, multipurpose youth centres and emergency evacuation and relief shelters in border areas.

It specifically allows construction of stairs and ramps for persons with disabilities in government buildings, besides rural housing works permitted under central and state government schemes, including PMAY-Gramin.

The livelihood-related infrastructure category, comprising 98 works, includes training and skill development centres, worksheds for self-help groups, rural haats and market yards, food grain and agricultural produce storage facilities and cold storage units.

It also covers SHG and federation buildings, compost structures, dairy and livestock infrastructure, fisheries-related facilities, nurseries and poly-houses, horticulture and medicinal plantations, and processing units.

The list provides for cattle, goat, piggery and poultry shelters, fish drying yards and aquaculture structures for shrimp, fish, crab and pearl farming. Poly-houses, nurseries and plantations of tea, coffee, horticulture, sericulture and medicinal trees are also covered.

Processing infrastructure includes mini flour mills, cashew and oilseed processing units, integrated agro-processing facilities for cleaning, grading and packaging, forest produce and handloom processing units, as well as bamboo craft and biodegradable product processing units.

For the first time, the schedule has a separate category of 38 works for mitigating extreme weather events and disaster preparedness.

It includes cyclone and flood shelters, embankments, spurs, flood protection walls and retaining walls, besides stabilisation ponds and post-disaster restoration of rural roads and community assets.

The category also covers windbreak and shelterbelt plantations and forest-fire management works such as firebreaks, forest fire lines, fuel buffer zones and animal protection trenches.

“The new framework seeks to move beyond a conventional list of asset types and align wage employment with the creation of durable rural assets and measurable development outcomes,” the ministry said.

“Every work will originate through a bottom-up, decentralized planning process under the Viksit Gram Panchayat Plan, approved by the Gram Sabha, and will be tracked through the Viksit Bharat National Rural Infrastructure Stack,” it added.