VARANASI Kamlesh Paswan, Union minister of state for rural development, on Thursday said village heads can transform their respective villages if they work with resolve. He also urged them to prepare five-year development plans, ensure participation of the local community and focus specifically on creating durable, high-quality assets so that future generations could also benefit from these initiatives.
Union MoS Kamlesh Paswan (Centre) and UP deputy CM KP Maurya (right) inaugurating Panch Sammelan in Varanasi. (HT photo)
Addressing village heads at the daylong Panch Sammelan held at Rudraksh Convention Centre, Varanasi, he said even decades after independence, people in many rural areas of the country were struggling for basic amenities.
Recognising this plight of rural India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi resolved to develop a system that would facilitate the development of electricity, water, roads, and other infrastructure in villages in a more effective and transparent manner, the minister added.
Organised jointly by the Union rural development ministry and the UP rural development department, the conference aimed to create awareness and enhance understanding among village heads about the provisions and objectives of the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 (VB-G RAM G).
Around 500 village heads from Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar and Jharkhand participated in the event that Paswan and UP deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya jointly inaugurated.
The Union MoS said the Centre is committed to making villages self-reliant, empowered, and equipped with modern amenities. VB-G RAM G will establish a new work culture of good governance, transparency and development in villages, he added.
Paswan said the Act would serve as a robust system for the better implementation and monitoring of rural development schemes. He mentioned that provisions within the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) that posed practical difficulties or required improvement have been revised and incorporated into this new system. This will reduce unnecessary delays in scheme implementation and ensure that villagers receive benefits in a timely manner.
He said VB-G RAM G Act would further empower gram panchayats by facilitating online monitoring of development works, transparent approval process, timely payments, strengthened social audits and selection of development schemes tailored to local needs. This will accelerate efforts regarding rural infrastructure, employment generation and water conservation.
The Union MoS said the new system would effectively curb corruption and irregularities in rural areas. Additionally, women, self-help groups, and the rural youth will gain greater benefits from schemes, he added.
Paswan said VB- G RAM G is a significant and visionary initiative of the Centre aimed at realising the resolve of transforming ‘developed villages’ into a ‘developed India’.
In his address, deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya He appealed to gram pradhans to work for ensuring al- round development of villages. He also noted that village heads from four states were participating in the event. He also congratulated everyone on the Union Cabinet’s approval and allocation of ₹25,000 crore for construction of two elevated roads in Varanasi.
During the technical session, Rohini R Bhajibhakare, joint secretary, rural development, delivered a detailed presentation on the Act’s key provisions and its effective implementation.
