Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan dropped a game-changer for India’s villages today: a ₹10 lakh crore war chest over 10 years under the revamped Viksit Bharat-Ji Ram Ji rural mission.
From Agartala’s conference hall, Chouhan rallied support for what he called the ‘complete roadmap to Viksit Bharat.’ Tailored for all societal strata, it guarantees 125 days of employment—25 more than before—empowering rural families with reliable earnings.
Funding firepower is impressive. This year: ₹1,51,282 crore. Finance Commission add-on: ₹55,000 crore. Five-year haul: exceeds ₹2 lakh crore. In the immediate five years ahead, another ₹10 lakh crore will flow to 2.86 crore panchayats, each getting ₹1.5-2.75 crore.
Chouhan didn’t shy from comparisons: NDA’s decade-long ₹8.54 lakh crore outpaces UPA’s ₹2.13 lakh crore. Worker protections shine—unemployment dole if jobs lag, plus interest on late payments.
Hands-on action followed words: Chouhan flagged off 179 Tripura projects totaling ₹546.79 crore. Joined by CM Manik Saha and key officials, the gathering buzzed with optimism for rural transformation.
As deadlines loom for Viksit Bharat 2047, this scheme positions rural India as the engine of national growth, promising jobs, infrastructure, and hope for generations.