Himachal will benefit from 90:10 funding – Modi govt’s plan will accelerate development: Bindal

Addressing a press conference today, BJP State President Dr. Rajeev Bindal said that the NDA government at the center, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has launched a highly visionary and timely nationwide scheme. The Vikasit Bharat Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission (Rural) – VB-G Ramji Bill, 2025, recently passed in the winter session of Parliament, is going to break new ground for rural India. This scheme is not limited to providing employment, but is a concrete and result-oriented system for linking employment with rural development.

Dr. Bindal stated that since India’s independence, various governments have launched schemes aimed at rural employment. Numerous schemes have been implemented, from the Rural Manpower Program in 1960–61 to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in 2005. MNREGA ran from 2005 to 2025, but given changing socio-economic conditions, experiences, and ground-level constraints, a need for a new, more effective, and development-oriented scheme was felt, resulting in the VB-G Ramji Act.

The state president clarified that MNREGA guaranteed 100 days of employment, but the reality was that only 50.4 days of employment were created on average. In contrast, the VB-G Ram Ji Yojana provides a legal guarantee of 125 days, which will be linked to development projects. Under this scheme, a village development plan will be prepared at the Gram Sabha level, which will be linked to the PM Gati Shakti platform via the block and district levels. Employment will be created for the implementation of this development plan, ensuring the overall development of the village.

Dr. Bindal explained that a major benefit of this scheme is that it is completely technology-based. It includes biometric attendance, digital multi-level monitoring, six-monthly reviews, and clear time-bound payment provisions. If employment or payment is not made on time, compensation is also provided to the individual concerned, ensuring accountability.

He said that Congress is also trying to spread confusion regarding the funding pattern, but the truth is that for Himalayan states like Himachal Pradesh, the central-state ratio is 90:10, which is extremely beneficial for the state. In other states, the ratio is 60:40. The central government has made this arrangement keeping in mind the geographical conditions of the states.

Presenting statistics, Dr. Bindal said that the Congress-led UPA government spent ₹2.13 lakh crore on MNREGA from 2006 to 2014, while the NDA government spent more than ₹8.53 lakh crore from 2014 to 2025. In terms of employment generation, 1660 million jobs were created during the UPA government, while 3210 million jobs were created during the Modi government. The number of completed jobs was 153 lakh during the UPA period, while it was 862 lakh during the NDA period, which reflects the seriousness of the BJP government.

Citing the example of Himachal Pradesh, Dr. Bindal said that during Congress rule, 16.52 lakh jobs were created in the state, while during the Modi government, 32.6 lakh jobs were created, double the employment. Approximately ₹1.5 lakh crore has been allocated under the VB-G Ram Ji scheme, which is significantly more than before.

He said the scheme focuses on four key areas—rural infrastructure, water conservation, environmental protection, and rural livelihoods. Administrative expenditure has been increased from 6 percent to 9 percent to ensure better implementation, audit, and monitoring of the scheme.

Dr. Rajeev Bindal said that Congress is misleading the public by raising the issue of name changes, while history bears witness that Congress governments themselves have changed the names of schemes from time to time. The BJP has never opposed this. The real issue is not the name, but the results and development.

Finally, he said that the VB-G Ram Ji scheme is not politically motivated, but a visionary plan designed with the goal of a developed India in 2047 in mind. If the state government fails to make its 10 percent contribution on time, it will expose its anti-rural and anti-poor mindset. The BJP will work to take this scheme to every household and remain fully committed to the empowerment of rural India.