The Union Ministry of Rural Development on Monday notified the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Grievance Redressal Rules, 2026, creating a structured, time-bound system for complaints about the implementation of the rural employment scheme, the ministry said in a statement.

Source: Ministry of Rural Development statement via PIB

Under the rules, state governments will have to establish a three-tier grievance redressal mechanism at the gram panchayat, block and district levels. Designated Grievance Redressal Officers at each level will receive, register, enquire into and dispose of complaints, and the District Programme Coordinator will oversee the mechanism at the district level, including through the digital platform designated for grievance redressal.

The timelines are fixed: an enquiry into a grievance must be completed within seven working days of its receipt, and the complaint itself must be resolved within 15 days. Complaints that remain unresolved within 15 days will be escalated to the next higher level under the state government's mechanism, according to the rules.

Source: The Hindu BusinessLine

7 working daysMaximum time for an enquiry
15 daysMaximum time to resolve a complaint
3 levelsPanchayat, block and district tiers

A worker can file a grievance in person before the designated officer, by speed post with proof of delivery, through the digital public infrastructure platform designated by the Central Government, or by telephone, designated helplines or any other mode decided by the state government. The rules bar refusal of a grievance on grounds of format, language or procedural deficiency, and every complaint must be acknowledged with a registration number; physical complaints must be entered on the digital platform the same day or, where that is not feasible, by the next working day.

The rules also provide for appeals against orders passed under the mechanism, to be filed and disposed of in accordance with Schedule I of the VB-G RAM G Act, 2025, the Act that provides the statutory framework for the Centre's rural employment guarantee programme. The ministry said the framework is aimed at making grievance redressal more accessible, transparent and accountable.

Source: Rural Voice