The Indian Union government has released ₹17,744.19 crore as the first instalment for wages under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) for the fiscal year 2026-27. This funding is aimed at ensuring timely wage payments while the government prepares to transition to the new Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (VB-GRAMIN). Alongside the wage component, a sanction of ₹3,478 crore has been issued for material and administrative components across various states and Union Territories (UTs). Officials noted a 35.3% decline in monthly MGNREGA employment, attributing this to seasonal factors and local livelihood opportunities. To address this, the government has earmarked 30 crore person-days for April 2026 and plans to ramp up employment provisions to over 43 crore person-days in May 2026. The Centre has assured that MGNREGA will continue to operate until the full rollout of the VB-GRAMIN initiative, which has received a budget allocation of ₹95,692 crore for FY27, along with ₹30,000 crore to settle pending dues for MGNREGA during the transition.