The Government of Uttar Pradesh on June 29, 2026, issued the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Scheme, Uttar Pradesh.
This Scheme, effective from July 1, 2026 and applicable to all notified rural areas of Uttar Pradesh, reworks the existing rural employment guarantee framework to align it with the national "Viksit Bharat @2047" vision. Its core guarantee is enhanced statutory wage-employment of at least 125 days per financial year for rural households whose adult members volunteer for unskilled manual work. Wages must be paid weekly or within a fortnight of work completion, with a 0.05% per day compensation for delayed payments beyond 15 days of muster roll closure, and applicants not provided work within 15 days of application become entitled to an unemployment allowance. Every adult member of a registered household holding a Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Card can apply for work orally, in writing, or digitally, with special provisions for proactively identifying and supporting vulnerable groups.
A central innovation is the planning architecture built around the Viksit Gram Panchayat Plan (VGPP) — a participatory, GIS and PM Gati Shakti-based local development plan prepared by each Gram Panchayat and approved by the Gram Sabha. These plans are aggregated upward through Block, District, and State levels and consolidated into a Viksit Bharat National Rural Infrastructure Stack, a digital registry tracking all rural works (whether funded under this Scheme or other Central/State/local schemes) to prevent duplication and ensure saturation-based, convergence-driven development across four thematic domains: water security, core rural infrastructure, livelihood infrastructure, and climate-resilience works. Gram Panchayats are categorized (A, B, C, etc.) based on development parameters to tailor saturation planning, and no works may be scheduled during notified peak agricultural periods.
The Scheme establishes a layered institutional structure. At the state level, the Uttar Pradesh State Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Council — chaired by the Chief Minister and including multiple ministers, secretaries, and at least 15 non-official members (with mandated representation of women and marginalized groups) — advises on policy, monitors implementation, and prepares annual reports. A State Level Steering Committee, chaired by the Chief Secretary, provides operational oversight and coordinates with the National Level Steering Committee. Below this, Panchayats at district, intermediate, and village levels serve as principal implementing authorities, supported by a District Programme Coordinator (the District Collector) and Programme Officers at the Block level, who handle plan consolidation, work sanctioning, wage disbursement, grievance redressal, and digital/biometric monitoring.
At the grassroots level, Gram Panchayats are responsible for household registration, issuing Rozgar Guarantee Cards, preparing VGPPs, allocating work (with Programme Officers required to route at least 50% of work cost through Gram Panchayats), and executing sanctioned works. The Gram Sabha is tasked with conducting regular social audits of all works, with Gram Panchayats obligated to provide full access to muster rolls, bills, vouchers, measurement books, geo-tagged photographs, and other records — reinforcing the Scheme's strong emphasis on digital transparency, biometric authentication, GPS-based worksite monitoring, and AI-assisted planning and fraud detection throughout the implementation chain.
[Notification No. DFA/1517518 /XXXVIII-6003(001)/1–2026 ]
