Telangana Leads Rural Employment Generation Under VB G RAM G in First Month

Telangana emerged as the best-performing major state in the first month of the Centre’s new rural employment programme, Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), known as VB G RAM G. The state recorded the only substantial increase in rural employment generation during July, despite strong opposition from the state government against replacing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

During July, Telangana generated 0.53 crore person days, amounting to 53 lakh days of employment for rural workers. A person day is calculated as the total days of employment provided to workers, with each single day of work by one person counted as one person day.

The state's numbers ran counter to the wider national trend, where employment generation fell sharply. Across the country, person day generation declined by 49.1 per cent, dropping from 17.65 crore under MGNREGA in July 2025 to 8.99 crore under VB G RAM G in July 2026.

Andhra Pradesh was the only other major state to post an expansion in person day generation, recording a 55.2 per cent rise from 0.91 crore to 1.41 crore person days. Other major states including Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala ranked behind Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in percentage terms, with all three witnessing decreases in employment generation.

The performance comes in the backdrop of active legal and administrative opposition from Telangana against the new programme. The state government had repeatedly written to the Centre raising formal objections against several provisions of the new law.

While Telangana rolled out the implementation of VB G RAM G starting July 1, the state has also resolved to challenge the legislation in the Supreme Court.