Agartala, 6th July 2026: Tripura Panchayat Minister Kishor Barman on Monday said the state is working toward significant transformation in rural areas over the next five years through the VB GRAMG initiative.
He highlighted that Tripura’s Panchayati Raj system has received seven national awards for its performance, including three this year alone. According to him, nearly 80 percent of the state’s Panchayats are now classified in the “front-runner” category.
The Minister said the government’s focus is on improving the welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, women, youth, farmers, and other marginalized communities. He added that the VB GRAMG programme has recently been launched nationwide from July 1.
Under the scheme, employment support has been increased to 125 days from the earlier 100 days, with wages set at ₹300. The programme includes around 318 types of permissible rural development works, aimed at accelerating progress in villages.
He further stated that the success of the initiative will depend on strong coordination between Zila Parishads, Panchayat Samitis, Gram Panchayats, Village Committees, and government officials.
The Minister was speaking at a one-day state-level workshop on Panchayat Development Plans and 16th Finance Commission grants held at the State Panchayat Resource Center in Arundhatinagar, Agartala.
He also noted that the state government is committed to strengthening every Gram Panchayat and Village Committee, drawing inspiration from Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee’s philosophy that governance should be rooted in public service. He urged representatives to work with honesty, dedication, and transparency for the benefit of society.
