Updated
Updated · The Quint · Aug 24
VB-GRAM G July Employment Falls Over 70% to 7.16 Crore Person-Days
Updated
Updated · The Quint · Aug 24

VB-GRAM G July Employment Falls Over 70% to 7.16 Crore Person-Days

3 articles · Updated · The Quint · Aug 24

Summary

  • 7.16 crore person-days were likely generated under VB-GRAM G in July 2026, down from 25.23 crore in July 2025 and marking the scheme’s first full month after replacing MGNREGA.
  • The drop followed major rule changes: the new law raised guaranteed work to 125 days but cut the Centre’s wage and material share to 60% and required states to impose 60 no-work days annually.
  • Government disclosures have been patchy. A 28 July release cited 5.2 crore person-days by 22 July, while the dashboard skipped July totals and showed 11.29 crore person-days since 1 July as of 20 August.
  • The Centre approved Rs 95,692.31 crore for 2026-27 and released Rs 25,844.97 crore initially, but the lower central liability and weaker employment generation could sharply reduce actual spending.
  • State-level data already point to strain: Karnataka reported steep July and August declines, with officials citing technical glitches, approval delays, altered fund sharing and drought.

Insights

Can Karnataka's rural workers survive the fatal combination of severe droughts and glitchy facial recognition software denying their wages?
Is the push for grand infrastructure assets under the new rural scheme sacrificing the immediate survival of millions?