Launch of VB Ji Ram Ji Yojana in Sarguja District

District-level public conference and launch ceremony held under the chief patronage of Tourism and Culture Minister Shri Rajesh Agarwal "Developed India's dream will be realized with empowered villages"-Minister Shri Agarwal New opportunity for employment and livelihood empowerment for villagers through the scheme, big gift for workers with Rs 300 daily wage and 125 days of employment Raipur, July 2, 2026/ The district-level public conference and launch ceremony for the Viksit Bharat-Rozgar aur Aajivika Guarantee Mission (Rural) VB-Ji Ram Ji was held on Thursday in the Zila Panchayat Sabhakaksh, Ambikapur, under the chief patronage of Tourism and Culture Minister Shri Rajesh Agarwal. The program was nationally launched by Union Rural Development and Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chauhan through video conferencing from Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh state. In the program, Minister Shri Agarwal said that this program is an important mass movement towards building a developed India. Its objective is to enrich villages, give respect to labor, and build a secure and self-reliant future for coming generations. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has set a goal to make India a developed nation by 2047. The strong foundation of this goal will be laid in our villages; only when villages are empowered will India be developed. Earlier there was 100 days of employment, now 125 days of employment will be provided. Giving the highest priority to the respect of laborers, the Government of India has increased the daily wage of MNREGA laborers from Rs 261 to Rs 300 from July 1, 2026. This is not just an increase in wages, but a respect for the hard work, dedication, and self-respect of our labor brothers and sisters. Now our aim is not just temporary work, but to create such permanent and useful projects that will be beneficial for our coming generations as well. Prioritizing large-scale tree plantation, water conservation, farm ponds, expansion of irrigation facilities, and rural infrastructure construction. These works will provide employment and also conserve natural resources. He urged all the present public representatives, Panchayat representatives, Sarpanches, Self-Help Group sisters, youths, and rural citizens not to consider this merely a scheme, but a public campaign for the development of their villages. Only when society and administration work together will the dream of developed villages and developed India be realized. Every work should be done with complete transparency, quality, and timeliness, and geographical marking and regular monitoring of every work should be ensured. If a village is empowered, the state will be empowered, and if the state is empowered, our country will be empowered. All of you should join this mission, connect more and more people, and actively participate in the development of your village. Zila Panchayat President Smt. Nirupa Singh said that the VB Ji Ram Ji Yojana will prove to be a milestone in strengthening the rural economy. Under the scheme, works that are needed in that particular village will be undertaken. Collector Shri Ajit Vasant said that through the scheme, we are entering a new era of rural development, and better monitoring will be done at the district level so that people can get maximum benefit from the scheme. Zila Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Shri Vinay Kumar Agarwal gave a detailed presentation of the scheme through PPT, sharing point-wise information about the scheme and important information regarding the works. On this occasion, an exhibition of works previously implemented in the district was also organized, which was appreciated by the guests and the general public. Also, beneficiaries of the scheme shared their experiences on stage about the benefits received from previous schemes and the positive changes in their lives. At the end of the program, seeds for maize cultivation in Nava Tariya were distributed to the Muskan Mahila Samuh of Nawabandh, and Arhar seeds were distributed to 15 farmers with the support of the Agriculture Department. Saplings of jackfruit, drumstick, jamun, mango, etc., were distributed to all attendees. During this, Zila Panchayat Vice President Shri Devnarayan Yadav, Zila Panchayat members Shri Vijay Agarwal, Smt. Payal Singh Tomar, Smt. Radha Ravi, Smt. Nanmani Paikra, along with Janpad members, Sarpanches, Secretaries, group women, and villagers were present. It is to be noted that the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission (Rural) VB-Ji Ram-Ji, Act 2025, has been implemented in all rural areas of the country from July 1, 2026. This Act will give new strength to rural employment, livelihood security, and sustainable development of villages. Under this, the statutory guarantee of employment for eligible rural families has been increased from 100 days to 125 days. Also, in Chhattisgarh state, under the VB-G-Ram-Ji scheme, laborers will be paid Rs 300 per day.