New Delhi: The Centre is set to roll out an ambitious rural development scheme with an aim to "improve" the standard of living and quality of life of all sections of people through improved basic amenities.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) to be implemented in selected gram panchayats initially on the occasion of birth anniversary of Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan on October 11.
A top Rural Development Ministry official said the main objectives of SAGY are to trigger processes which lead to holistic development of the identified gram panchayats and to substantially improve the standard of living and quality of life of all sections of the population through improved basic amenities, higher productivity and enhanced human development.
It is also meant for providing better livelihood opportunities, reduced disparities, access to rights and entitlements, wider social mobilisation and enriched social capital, the official said.
Effective implementation of the scheme is expected to generate models of local level development and effective local governance which can motivate and inspire neighbouring gram panchayats to learn and adapt and to nurture the identified adarsh grams as schools of local development to train other gram panchayats, the official said.
A gram panchayat will be the basic unit for implementing the scheme. It will have a population of 3000-5000 in plain areas and 1000-3000 in hilly, tribal and difficult areas.
An MP would be free to identify a suitable gram panchayat to be developed as adarsh gram, other than his or her own village or that of the spouse.
The MP will identify one gram panchayat to be taken up immediately, and two others to be taken up some time later.
A Lok Sabha MP has to choose from within his or her constituency and a Rajya Sabha MP a gram panchayat from the rural area from a district of his or her choice in the state from which he or she is elected.
Nominated MPs may choose a gram panchayat from the rural area of any district. In the case of urban constituencies, the MP will identify a gram panchayat from a nearby rural constituency.
Officials said primarily, the goal is to develop three adarsh grams by March 2019, of which one would be achieved by 2016.
Thereafter, five such adarsh grams (one per year) will be selected and developed by 2024.
