VBGRAMG to boost rural funding, says Tripura minister

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, January 9, 2026

Tripura Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath on Thursday said the newly enacted VBGRAMG scheme would prove more beneficial for small states like Tripura and help channel more funds into rural areas, replacing the existing MGNREGA framework with several key improvements.

Addressing the media here, Nath said the most significant change under the new scheme was the increase in guaranteed employment from 100 days to 125 days annually, which would enhance livelihood opportunities for rural households. He said rural development had witnessed a major transformation under the NDA government, with substantially higher budgetary allocations compared to the earlier UPA regime.

The minister said that while the total allocation under MGNREGA between 2005 and 2014 stood at around Rs 2.13 lakh crore, allocations in the last ten financial years had risen to about Rs 7.80 lakh crore, with the average annual outlay increasing sharply.

Referring to Tripura, Nath said the state had received Rs 7,108 crore under MGNREGA in the last seven years, compared to Rs 6,490 crore during the final seven years of the previous Left Front government. He said over 8.10 lakh assets were created in the last seven years, while wages amounting to Rs 5,332 crore were disbursed during the same period.

Nath said the new scheme reduced the financial burden on small states, with the Centre bearing 90 per cent of the cost. He added that provisions for timely wage payments, climate change mitigation, disaster management and higher administrative allocation had been strengthened.

The minister said Tripura consistently ranked among the top-performing states in rural employment generation and expressed confidence that VBGRAMG would further strengthen rural livelihoods.

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