Centre Notifies New Daily Wage Rates Under VB-G RAM G Act: Rs 300 to Rs 450

The Union Ministry of Rural Development on Tuesday night notified the daily wage rates for unskilled manual workers under the new Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act, 2025. The Act, which replaces the two-decade-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005, comes into effect on Wednesday.

According to the notification, daily wages range between Rs 300 and Rs 409 across states, with a special rate of Rs 450 applicable in certain Gram Panchayats in Sikkim. The wages vary based on the state's classification and cost of living indices.

Several northern and northeastern states have seen wage hikes of over 15 per cent. These include Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam, Tripura, Sikkim, and West Bengal.

The VB-G RAM G Act is aimed at providing guaranteed employment to rural households, similar to MGNREGA, but with revised wage structures and operational guidelines. The new wage rates are expected to benefit millions of workers in rural areas, where the scheme is a primary source of livelihood during lean agricultural seasons.

The Ministry has also stated that the revised rates will be reviewed periodically to align with inflation and economic conditions. The notification has been welcomed by labour unions, though some have called for further increases to meet rising living costs.

This move is part of the government's broader agenda to enhance rural income and economic resilience under the Viksit Bharat initiative.