Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana: NDA Government Scheme For Rural India
Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana: NDA Government Scheme For Rural India
PM Narendra Mody launched the Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana or SAGY on Jayaprakash Narayan’s birthday, as part of the effort to ensure development of Indian villages. This scheme provides assistance to MPs from both the Houses to find and develop one village from within their constituencies. The village in question will then be developed as a model village by 2016. Two more model villages would then be covered by 2019. The aim is to cover around 2,500 of the 6 lakh villages across the nation.
“This is not a rupiya-paisa yojana but a demand-driven, people’s participatory scheme. There are 800 parliamentarians and in three years, 2,500-odd villages could get covered. If States were to initiate their own similar schemes with MLAs, 6,000 to 7,000 villages could get covered. One good village can affect an entire area, and a viral effect could begin,” Modi was quoted as saying at the launch of the scheme, according to media reports.
A 65 page outline for the Yojana was also released by the PM in the presence of Rural Development Minister Nitin Gadkari. Model villages to be developed must have a population of 3,000 to 5,000 people in the plains and 1000-3000 in the hills. Convergence of existing schemes for socio-economic development of the area must also be taken into account.
Another criterion is that MPs can choose any village except their's or their spouse's. The expectation is that MPs will facilitate a village development plan to take up the activities and give villagers the motivation to grow and develop. Another aim is to ensure that the INR 5 crore MPLAD fund is also utilised for helping fill in the gap as well as mobilisation of “additional resources especially from Corporate Social Responsibility” in sewage and water supply schemes.
The aim is also to cover broad indicators of development such as education, health and nutrition apart from mobilisation of immunisation drives as well as improvement of mid-day meal schemes as well as improved Adhaar enrolment and setting up of smart schools with IT enabled classes and e-libraries, according to media reports. The Yojana also seeks to improve the infrastructure of panchayats under MNREGA as well as Backward Regions Frans Fund.
Better implementation of existing schemes is the focus here rather than letting these schemes languish. This includes the RTI Act, National Food Security Act, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, National Rural Livelihood Mission and many more. The efforts are also on to “activities to improve hygienic behaviour” by encouraging bathing among villagers, use of toilets and exercise for atleast thirty minutes every day, according to media reports. There will also be a village day and a village song for the model villages. The aim is inclusive development with special emphasis on rural growth.
