Good bye MGNREGA, welcome VB GRAM-G Act

By: Farooq Ahmad Lone (Retd IAS)

July 1 marks the commencement of the VB GRAM-G Act, opening a new chapter in India’s rural development journey. It is also an appropriate moment to reflect on the legacy of MGNREGA, a programme that has shaped rural India in ways few government initiatives have.

MGNREGA has often been viewed through the narrow lens of employment generation. In reality, its impact has been much broader. Across the country, including Jammu and Kashmir, it has altered the physical and economic landscape of villages. Rural roads, irrigation channels, water harvesting structures, village ponds, land development works, and community assets have changed the face of many rural settlements. Anyone , including the author, who has regularly visited villages over the past two decades cannot fail to notice this transformation.

The programme has also served as an economic lifeline for vulnerable households particularly guaranteeing hundred days work,during periods of agrarian distress . This made it as one of independent India’s most significant social protection programmes.

Yet, acknowledging its achievements does not mean ignoring its shortcomings. Concerns about the quality and durability of assets, delays in execution, inadequate technical supervision, and occasional misuse of resources have accompanied the programme almost since its inception. The challenge has always been to preserve its strengths while correcting its weaknesses.

The VB GRAM-G Act appears to move in that direction by assigning a more central role to Gram Panchayats in planning, prioritising, implementing, and monitoring development works. This reflects the broader philosophy of democratic decentralisation that is local communities are best placed to identify their own development priorities and oversee public expenditure. Additionally number of labour days has been increased to 125.

For Jammu and Kashmir, however, the transition raises a fundamental question.

The effectiveness of this new framework depends upon vibrant and functional Panchayati Raj Institutions. At present, elected Panchayats are not in place, and no timeline has been announced for fresh elections. In the absence of elected representatives, who will exercise the responsibilities that the new Act entrusts to Gram Panchayats? Can administrative arrangements adequately substitute for institutions that derive their legitimacy from the people?

This institutional gap deserves serious attention. Rural development is not merely about constructing assets; it is about building local ownership, strengthening community participation, and ensuring accountability. These objectives become difficult to achieve without representative local institutions.

The implementation of the new Act in Jammu and Kashmir will therefore be watched with keen interest.

 Administrative efficiency may sustain the programme in the short term, but lasting success will depend upon restoring democratic grassroots governance through timely Panchayat elections.

The beginning of a new law is always accompanied by hope. Whether the VB GRAM-G Act succeeds in building upon the achievements of MGNREGA while overcoming its deficiencies will become clear only with time. For Jammu and Kashmir, its success will ultimately be measured not only by the number of works completed or funds spent, but by how effectively it empowers villages to shape their own development.

As one chapter closes and another begins, the aspiration should remain unchanged: stronger villages, accountable institutions, durable assets, and inclusive rural prosperity.

The author is former chairman of J&K Public Service Commission