The sweeping overhaul of the erstwhile MGNREGA, to align with the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision through VB-G RAM G, has unleashed a wave of criticism. During FY25, 5.78 crore households worked under MGNREGA, aligning towards the pre-Covid level of an average of 5.0 crore working each fiscal. The budget allocation for 2025-26 stands at Rs 86,000 crore (Rs 11,300 crore during FY 2006-07), the highest ever. Third, MGNREGA fared poorly on the cardinal principle of adequate compensation for labour-intensive works, with wages unable to catch up. The average wage per person per day has increased from an average of Rs 88 during FY07-FY12 to currently around Rs 267.

Source: Indian Express January 09, 2026 08:06 UTC