Chandel: As part of the Assessment and Facilitation Tour for the rollout of the VB-G-RAM-G Act, 2025 in Manipur, a two-member team from the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, visited Chandel district to review the preparedness for the implementation of the Act and provide facilitation support.
The visiting team comprised Ramavatar Meena, Director, Department of Rural Development (DoRD) and Sankhil R. L., Section Officer, DoRD.
Ramavatar Meena, Director,,DoRD, Government of India stressed the need for the smooth implementation of the VB-G-RAM-G programme through proper planning and preparedness. The programme is based on the principle of “Employment with Dignity”, aiming to provide wage employment while creating durable public assets for long-term village development.
The Director urged the officials to prepare effective Village Development Gram Panchayat Plans (VGPPs) and maintain an adequate shelf of works to ensure continuous employment. The speaker also highlighted that workers are entitled to unemployment allowance if work is not provided within the stipulated period. Expressing concern over the limited number of ongoing works despite the large number of Gram Panchayats, the speaker called for expanding the pipeline of projects to ensure the successful implementation of the programme.
Hemant Kumar, IAS, Deputy Commissioner of Chandel, briefed the visiting Central team on the various challenges encountered in the implementation of the Viksit Bharat Gram–Gram (VBG-RAM-G) programme in the district. He highlighted issues such as the generation of person-days, poor road connectivity, inadequate internet connectivity, and conditions of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) on programme implementation.
Despite various challenges, the Deputy Commissioner expressed satisfaction that Chandel District has achieved one of the highest implementation performances under the programme. He commended all the officers and officials associated with the implementation for their dedication, commitment and sincere service. Hemant Kumar further requested the visiting Central team to extend continuous support to the district and facilitate more frequent capacity-building and training programmes to strengthen effective implementation of the scheme.
The meeting was attended by SDOs, officials and staffs of DRDA, Chandel District.
During their visit, the officers interacted with district and block-level officials, field functionaries and job card holders to assess the implementation preparedness and understand field-level requirements. The team visited Lambung, Mantri Pantha and Monsang Pantha villages of the District , where they held interactions with job card holders and reviewed ongoing works and implementation mechanisms.
The visit aimed to facilitate the smooth rollout of the VB-G-RAM G Act, 2025 by assessing ground-level preparedness, promoting the exchange of experiences and best practices, and strengthening coordination among stakeholders involved in the implementation process.
