Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has instructed officials to ensure that over Rs 1.5 lakh allocated annually for rural employment schemes like Viksit Bharat – GRAM-G and MNREGA reaches the panchayats efficiently to boost village development nationwide. He announced an increase in work days for laborers from 100 to 125 under MGNREGA, aiming to provide employment to all in need. Chouhan stressed the importance of delivering scheme benefits directly to beneficiaries without delays or corruption, echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a government impacting people’s lives directly.
Highlighting the role of women in the National Rural Livelihoods Mission, Chouhan mentioned the significant increase in women’s incomes through self-help groups, with a target to reach 6 crore women. He emphasized the need to move rural women beyond traditional activities like papad-achar towards food processing, agri-business, and digital platforms to foster rural entrepreneurship. The ongoing National Rural Development Conference, attended by officials and rural development ministers, aligns with PM Modi’s ‘Viksit Bharat’ vision, focusing on scheme implementation, progress evaluation, and reform proposals.
The conference featured detailed sessions on various schemes including Viksit Bharat – Gram, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, National Rural Livelihoods Mission, Rural Skills, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, and National Social Assistance Programme. Secretary of the Ministry of Rural Development, Rohit Kansal, highlighted the department’s achievements over the past 12 years, such as constructing 8 lakh kilometers of roads, building 3 crore pucca houses, and empowering 3 crore Lakhpati Didis through Self-Help Groups. Looking ahead, the focus is on maintaining existing assets, saturating schemes, and enhancing the quality of life for citizens.
