India to Issue Rules for July 1 Rural Jobs Scheme as 25 States Set Aside Funds

3 articles · Updated · The Hindu · May 20

Rules for the Viksit Bharat rural employment guarantee scheme will be issued within days, with the new programme scheduled to take effect on July 1.
Section 4(5) still requires the Centre to prescribe objective parameters for state-wise fund allocation, a key step meant to distribute resources more equitably.
Twenty-five States have already earmarked money for the scheme, and officials told a parliamentary panel that administrative and policy preparations are underway; major States have made budget provisions.
New smart job cards with face-recognition features will replace MGNREGA-era cards, while existing cards will stay temporarily valid for workers who have completed e-KYC until the new cards are issued.

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