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The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament will meet at 11:00 AM on Thursday at Parliament House Annexe to review the implementation of centrally sponsored welfare schemes.
Congress MP KC Venugopal will chair the committee. The agenda includes a briefing by the Audit, followed by oral evidence from representatives from the Ministry of Education, Department of School Education and Literacy, and Department of Higher Education on the subject "Review of implementation of centrally sponsored welfare schemes". The committee will examine the implementation of centrally sponsored welfare schemes and their effectiveness across various levels. Meanwhile, the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, or the VB-G RAM G Act, came into effect on July 1, 2026. The centrally sponsored welfare schemes were passed in the Winter Session of Parliament in 2025. The legislation replaced the 100-day employment guarantee with a 125-day guarantee. However, the Opposition has criticised the legislation for removing Mahatma Gandhi's name from the scheme and bringing in the 60:40 share of funds between the Centre and States. Under the new framework, every rural household whose adult members volunteer to undertake unskilled manual work shall be entitled to a statutory guarantee of 125 days of wage employment in every financial year. The enhanced guarantee is intended to strengthen livelihood security, improve rural incomes and support sustainable village-level development. Employment shall be provided to workers against their demand for work within the prescribed timeframe, failing which workers shall remain entitled to unemployment allowance in accordance with the provisions of the Act. The Act places strong emphasis on timely and transparent wage payments. Wages shall continue to be transferred directly into workers' bank or post office accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). Wages are to be paid on a weekly basis or within fifteen days from the closure of the muster roll, failing which workers shall be entitled to delay compensation in accordance with the provisions of the Act. (ANI)
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