*Job Card Registration Camps to Be Held in Every Gram Panchayat; Workers Can Seek Employment Under New Scheme From Tomorrow: Tarunpreet Singh Sond*
*Punjab Govt Offers 10% Salary Hike & Longer Contract Tenure to VB G RAM G Employees: Tarunpreet Singh Sond*
*Regularisation Proposal of MGNREGA Employees Already Sent to Personnel Department as Special Case: Tarunpreet Singh Sond*
Punjab Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond on Sunday said that the Punjab Government has made comprehensive arrangements to ensure a smooth transition from MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) to the newly implemented VB G RAM G (Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission) scheme, while safeguarding employment opportunities for rural workers and ensuring uninterrupted execution of development works across the state.
The Minister said that while MGNREGA remained operational till June 30, 2026, the VB G RAM G scheme came into effect from July 1. Under MGNREGA, salaries and wages were fully funded by the Government of India, while material costs were shared in a 75:25 ratio between the Centre and the State. “Under the new scheme, salaries, wages and material costs are being shared in a 60:40 ratio between the Centre and the State. The scheme continues to provide a statutory guarantee of employment to every eligible person seeking work,” he noted.
Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond said that all beneficiaries holding valid MGNREGA job cards will automatically continue to receive employment under VB G RAM G. “New beneficiaries can also enrol under the scheme and, for this purpose, job card registration camps will be organised in every Gram Panchayat from tomorrow to register new workers as well as update the details of existing beneficiaries,” he added.
The Minister said that development works have already been identified and approved to ensure immediate implementation of the scheme. Gram Sabhas will be organised in all Gram Panchayats to identify any additional works in consultation with local workers. “Muster rolls are being issued across all Gram Panchayats, enabling workers with valid job cards to apply for employment and join work from tomorrow. Attendance will be recorded digitally through dedicated software,” he added.
Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond said that the department has also made alternate arrangements to ensure continuity of services during the transition period. Around 1,200 Gram Rozgar Sahayaks (GRSs) were earlier responsible for issuing muster rolls and maintaining attendance. “In view of the present situation, around 4,000 employees from other Rural Development Department schemes have been assigned these responsibilities and have already completed their training. Similarly, Junior Engineers of the department have been entrusted with the responsibilities of Technical Assistants for preparing estimates and measurement books, while additional staff at the block level have also been deployed after completing the necessary training,” he added.
Referring to the demands raised by employee unions, the Minister said, “The demand for regularisation under the 2023 policy cannot be accepted because the policy applies only to employees working against regular sanctioned posts, whereas MGNREGA staff were engaged under a Centrally sponsored scheme funded entirely by the Government of India. However, he said the Punjab Government has already forwarded a special proposal seeking regularisation of these employees to the Personnel Department. After receiving certain queries, the revised proposal was resubmitted with detailed comments.”
Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond said that the department has also offered a consolidated salary increase of around 10 per cent over the existing pay of employees. “Unlike the earlier annual contracts under MGNREGA, employees under VB G RAM G will now be given contracts of longer tenure to provide greater continuity, stability and job security. He added that the demand for revised pay scales at par with regular employees can be considered only after the process of regularisation is completed,” he added.
The Minister appealed to all employees to join duties under the new scheme and ensure uninterrupted implementation of rural development works during the transition period. He said several rounds of discussions have already been held with employee representatives at different levels of the government to address their concerns.
Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond further informed that salaries of Technical Assistants up to May 2026 have already been released, while salaries of Gram Rozgar Sahayaks and other staff up to January 2026 have also been cleared. “The delay occurred due to the late release of funds by the Government of India and subsequent disruption caused by the employees’ strike, but the pending bills were cleared in coordination with the Treasury after submission,” he added.
The Minister stated, “The utilisation certificate and the next demand for funds have already been sent to the Government of India, which is expected to release the next instalment after July 20. The Government of India has already sanctioned ₹50 crore towards salaries under the VB G RAM G scheme and future salary releases will continue on a regular basis.”
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