New Delhi, Nov 5 — The Department of Rural Development and the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) have jointly issued an advisory to states and Union Territories to strengthen fodder production, pasture development and livestock-supportive infrastructure through convergence, an official statement said on Thursday.
The initiative under the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission – Gramin (VB–G RAM G) Act, 2025 seeks to address fodder scarcity, improve livestock-supportive infrastructure through a whole-of-government approach.
It also seeks to enhance rural livelihoods, particularly small and marginal farmers and landless households dependent on livestock and dairy activities.
It seeks to align rural employment and asset creation with the requirements of the livestock sector, while ensuring compliance with the provisions and planning framework of the Act.
Key interventions include fodder cultivation for individual and community use, development of community fodder resources, grazing lands, silvipasture projects, fodder banks, silage units and storage facilities. The advisory also covers construction, repair and maintenance of cattle, goat, piggery and poultry shelters, community milk collection centres, veterinary health centres, cattle troughs and Azolla tanks.
All works will be undertaken in accordance with the approved list of permissible works and the applicable provisions of the Act, Rules and Guidelines, the statement noted.
The VB–G RAM G Act, effective since July 1 provides a statutory guarantee of 125 days of wage employment per rural household and focuses on the creation of durable assets across four thematic areas, including livelihood-related infrastructure and mitigation of extreme weather events.
The advisory identifies 22 relevant works from the list of 375 permissible works under the VB–G RAM G framework.
These cover interventions relating to fodder cultivation and storage, pasture development, livestock shelters, dairy infrastructure and veterinary health facilities, according to the government.
The advisory emphasises decentralised, bottom-up and Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI)-led planning, with fodder development and livestock-supportive infrastructure integrated into Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans (VGPPs) and aligned with local development priorities approved through the Gram Sabha.