AP gets Rs 7,707 cr under VB-GRAM-G, 3rd highest in country

Visakhapatnam: Deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan on Thursday said Andhra Pradesh has secured the third-highest allocation in the country under the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission-Gramin (VB-GRAM-G), with a proposed interim grant of ₹7,707.21 crore.

In a social media post, he said the funds would accelerate rural development in the State, strengthen village infrastructure, improve livelihoods and create opportunities for farmers, women, youth and workers.

He added that the allocation reflects the State’s focus on effective implementation and governance in rural development programmes.

Union rural development minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan recently announced a rural development push exceeding ₹1.25 lakh crore under the new VB-GRAM-G scheme, which is set to replace the two-decade-old MGNREGA framework from July 1.

The Centre has released an interim allocation of ₹95,692 crore under VB-GRAM-G, apart from ₹30,000 crore already earmarked under MGNREGA, taking the total outlay beyond ₹1.25 lakh crore. The funds are expected to reach nearly 2.8 lakh gram panchayats across the country.

Pawan Kalyan thanked the Centre for the allocation and its continued support for rural development initiatives in the state.