Shivraj Singh Chouhan Advocates for Poverty-Free Villages and Strong Rural Infrastructure

Union Minister for Rural Development and Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan wondered as to why anyone should remain poor in a village and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a dream - a resolution that is poverty-free village. The Union Minister said this at the 66th General Council meeting of the National Institute of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj in Telangana.

Chouhan said, “Nobody should be poor in villages and everyone should be employed. Mahatma Gandhi’s vision was Gram Swaraj. When we talk about rural development, infrastructural development takes the front seat."

He said that rural development means good schools, good panchayat bhawan, good community bhawan and better health facilities in the village. That is why infrastructure is important. The villages need proper road connectivity, potable water, health facilities etc.

Then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had launched Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) in 2000, and the projects are being taken forward by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. When rural infrastructure development is discussed, Jal Jeevan Mission is another scheme worth mentioning, he said.

Referring to the Aajeevika Scheme, the Union Minister said that the Ministry of Rural Development has done a wonderful job for the empowerment of sisters through the Livelihood Mission. Ten crore sisters are associated with the Livelihood Mission across the country.

Sisters have not only changed their lives but are also playing an important role in changing the economy of India. It is possible only due to the training and capacity building given to women across India, that they are emerging as leaders.

Chouhan said that Prime Minister Modi has decided to have three crore Lakhpati Didis. Currently, there is one crore Lakhpati Didis. Union Minister said that apart from the significant role played by NIRDPR in the form of a think tank to the Rural Development Ministry, more capacity building and training activities are needed. Chouhan urged the students doing postgraduate programmes in NIRDPR to work for rural development.

On the occasion, two MoUs with JNU, New Delhi, for the Ph.D. program and Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), New Delhi, were signed. The Union Minister also launched the online course for Gram Rozgar Sevak (GRS), an official release said.