New VB‑GRAM Initiative Faces Transparency Concerns Amidst Alleged Corruption

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act has been renamed as the Vikas Bharat – Employment and Livelihood Mission (VB‑GRAM), a move that former Madhya Pradesh minister Deepak Joshi says should come with greater scrutiny.

Joshi’s correspondence with the Prime Minister outlines that the rebranded scheme intends to provide 125 days of work to each job‑card family, up from the earlier 100‑day guarantee. However, the letter warns that the program is already entangled in numerous allegations of corruption, including large‑scale financial irregularities, false procurement, and diversion of funds by local federations.

He specifically mentions that forest‑area leaseholders, who were supposed to receive 150 days of employment, have not received any work yet the scheme continues to be promoted. The alleged misuse of money intended for nutrition, clothing, and recruitment has raised serious doubts about the mission’s credibility.

Joshi calls for a transparent mechanism, rigorous auditing, and direct benefit transfers to ensure that the promised work days reach the intended beneficiaries—rural labor families living below the poverty line.