New Delhi: The government on Wednesday held a high-level inter-ministerial consultation on the draft convergence framework under the Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025, ahead of the law coming into effect from July 1.
The consultation, chaired by Rural Development Secretary Rohit Kansal at Kartavya Bhavan here, was attended by representatives and nodal officers from 18 ministries and departments.
The meeting focused on operationalising the Act's vision of a whole-of-government approach to rural development through decentralised, panchayati raj institution-led planning and convergence.
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Kansal said convergence was a key pillar of the Act for addressing priorities such as water security, livelihoods, infrastructure, climate resilience and local economic development.
The Act envisages a "Single Plan - Multi Funding" approach, under which different schemes and programmes would work towards common development outcomes while retaining their respective mandates and funding structures, the ministry said.
The draft framework places the Viksit Gram Panchayat Plan (VGPP) at the centre of rural development planning.
The plan will be prepared with community participation and approved by the gram sabha, integrating local needs with resources available under various central and state schemes.
The framework identifies four thematic focus areas - water security, core rural infrastructure, rural livelihoods and special works for mitigation of extreme weather events.
The rural development department has notified an interim list of 318 permissible works covering areas such as natural resource management, irrigation, rural connectivity, community infrastructure and climate resilience.
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The convergence framework is proposed to be operationalised from July 1 along with the commencement of the VB- G RAM G Act and is expected to strengthen decentralised planning and coordinated implementation of rural development programmes.
