A Transformative Opportunity for Kishtwar’s Rural Renaissance
Yassir Rashid
yassirrashid25@gmail.com
India has embarked on a new chapter in rural development with the passage of the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), 2025 (VB-GRAM-G, 2025), which replaces the two-decade-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005. The new law, having received Presidential assent, is scheduled for implementation across the country in FY 2026-27, marking a visionary shift from employment guarantee to a mission-oriented model of comprehensive rural transformation.
As someone closely observing rural governance in Kishtwar district, I view this change as a turning point for our region. Kishtwar – the largest district of Jammu & Kashmir in terms of area, covering 7,824 sq km – is home to 13 CD Blocks, 136 Gram Panchayats (GPs) & 156 Revenue Villages. Its rugged mountains, dispersed settlements and limited connectivity have long posed formidable challenges to infrastructure creation and equitable growth. The launch of VB-GRAM-G offers a real opportunity to bridge these enduring gaps. Under the new framework, rural households will be entitled to 125 person-days of wage employment per financial year, providing a stronger livelihood safety net within their own Gram Panchayat. A notable innovation is the 60-day pause for agricultural activity, allowing rural workers to engage in their farming seasons without losing guaranteed employment benefits. This flexibility reflects a responsive policy design, aligning rural employment with the rhythm of local agrarian cycles-a long-standing demand of our farming communities.
Kishtwar’s rural landscape faces a significant infrastructure deficit, with many villages lacking adequate schools, roads and public amenities. The new scheme’s design includes wide-ranging infrastructure creation – from additional classrooms and laboratories in rural schools to playgrounds, compound walls and kitchen sheds. There are 712 schools across our rural areas, many housed in old or temporary structures; this scheme could dramatically uplift the education infrastructure and learning environment. Water scarcity is one of Kishtwar’s chronic issues. VB-GRAM-G prioritizes water conservation, watershed development, groundwater recharge and rejuvenation of water bodies, interventions critical to sustaining agriculture and livelihoods in our hilly terrain. Afforestation and eco-restoration components promise both climate resilience and ecosystem stability, especially in snow-fed but water-insecure villages.
VB-G-RAM-G includes special provisions for disaster-prone districts like Kishtwar, emphasizing works to mitigate extreme weather events such as glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) and cold waves.These align with the scheme’s four thematic domains, integrating Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans with PM Gati Shakti for climate-resilient assets. Beyond wages, the scheme emphasizes productive and livelihood-oriented assets-a welcome step toward self-reliant rural economies. It envisions the construction of training cum-skill development centres, rural haats, storage facilities, cold chains and market infrastructure for agricultural produce. Dedicated provisions for livestock shelters, dairy and fisheries infrastructure and compost units will diversify income sources, empowering Self Help Groups, youth and marginal farmers. These interventions will sow the seeds of entrepreneurship and rural enterprise. Habitations like Marwah, Warwan, Dachhan, Bunjwah, Padder and Kuntwara, which often face geographic isolation and limited access to UT services, will greatly benefit from solar lighting, boarder infrastructure and library development works envisioned under the scheme. Such focused interventions will bring educational, economic and technological inclusion to even the remotest corners of Kishtwar.
A defining hallmark of VB-GRAM-G is its digital governance ecosystem. The scheme integrates biometric authentication, GPS-based work monitoring, real-time MIS dashboards, and AI-powered planning, audits and fraud detection. The use of geospatial tools under PM Gati Shakti, combined with Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans, will enable data-driven, saturation based planning. This will strengthen accountability, transparency and citizen participation at every administrative tier.
Implementation will rest with the Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, with experienced JKAS officers playing a central role. The scheme also envisages recognition and promotion pathways for officers handling complex developmental programmes, which will professionalize service delivery and motivate performance at the grassroots. The VB-GRAM-G, 2025 mission represents more than just a rebranded employment scheme-it is a composite framework for inclusive growth, local empowerment and digital-era governance. For Kishtwar, it holds the promise of reducing developmental disparity, boosting infrastructure creation, generating wage security and nurturing environmental sustainability.
With its emphasis on convergence, technology and local capacity-building, this initiative can lay the foundation for a self-reliant, equitable and vibrant Kishtwar-truly in step with the vision of Viksit Bharat @ 2047.
(The author is working as “Panchayat Secretary” in the Department of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, J&K)
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