The Odisha Government has directed all district administrations to begin issuing Interim Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Cards (GRGCs) to eligible rural households under the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 (VB‑GRAMG).
The move ensures uninterrupted access to employment benefits while the final cards are being printed.
In a letter dated July 14, Director (Special Projects) Siddharth Shankar Swain instructed Collectors, District Programme Coordinators, and Block Development Officers to implement the interim arrangement immediately.
The VB‑GRAMG Act, effective from July 1, 2026, guarantees 125 days of wage employment annually to rural households willing to undertake unskilled manual work. Since printing and distribution of permanent GRGCs will take time, the Ministry has approved the use of existing e‑KYC verified MGNREGA job cards as temporary GRGCs.
Under the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), Gram Panchayats will receive applications, verify eligibility, complete e‑KYC, and register beneficiaries through the VB‑GRAMG Soft portal. Interim cards will be digitally generated, printed by authorised officials, signed by competent authorities, and handed over to beneficiaries against proper acknowledgement.
The interim cards will remain valid until the final GRGCs are issued, after which the old MGNREGA job cards or temporary GRGCs will be cancelled and replaced. The SOP assigns responsibility to State Governments, District Programme Coordinators, Programme Officers, and Gram Panchayats to ensure that no eligible household is denied employment due to the delay in final card issuance.
