The mantra of an Aatma Nirbhar, or self-reliant nation will usher in the success story of rural India. Prime Minister’s farsightedness will empower and uplift villages. Since coronavirus has changed the scenario of development, we can see the world’s superpower nations trying to overcome the crisis. At the time when most strategies have failed, PM Narendra Modi’s determination has brought the nation to the forefront of the world. PM Modi’s worries are not just limited to flattening the curve. It is also to make decisions according to the situations that arise from time to time. The effectiveness of the lockdown has proved that even though India is a nation of 130 crore people, it has managed to keep the infection rate lower than other nations.
On one hand, the Prime Minister has handled coronavirus successfully, and on the other, he has resolved the unemployment that increased due to lockdown. The efforts are strong enough to help the nation move towards reforms. The foundation stone of a self-reliant India lies in the development of rural regions. This can prove to be a major step towards empowering India once the world starts recovering post-coronavirus. Agriculture will once again become the country’s backbone and we will be one step closer towards uplifting the micro, medium and small enterprises.
The government, first to worry about migrant labourers, has promised to provide employment through Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005. PM Modi has allocated an additional Rs 40,000 crores under MNREGA. The budget of MNREGA now stands at Rs 1.01 lakh crore. An amount of Rs 33,300 crore has already been approved, out of which Rs 23,329 crore has been released. Job offers have been made to 4.17 crore labourers in the nation and over 20.09 man-days have been achieved. With each passing day, 2.50 crore labourers are receiving work daily. The daily wages have been increased by a significant amount, marking an 11% rise. The ministry of rural development has provisioned over Rs 2,00,500 crore for expenditures on rural India. Of that, a sum of Rs 51,000 crore have already been released and allocated to several states.
The Prime Minsiter is also worried about rural women and has made efforts to empower them even during such trying times. Under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, 2016 (PMGKY), an amount of Rs 20,650 crore was transferred to the accounts of these women in two instalments of Rs 500 each. The free of cost loan amount for self-help groups of women has also been increased to a whopping Rs 20 lakh from Rs 10 lakh. The government had also promised an amount of Rs 1,000 to senior citizens, widows and divyangs in two instalments of Rs 500 each. The government has released both instalments for 2.82 crore out of three crore beneficiaries.
Women registered under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission are also receiving unprecedented contribution to deal with the situations caused by coronavirus. These women have manufactured 12.81 crore masks, 3.36 lakh litres of sanitiser and 90,000 litres of liquid hand-wash. Some women under NRLM are running 12,511 community kitchens and are feeding over nine crore people.
Coronavirus has not been able to stop the work under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. The states have an amount of Rs 12,482 crore for construction of houses. Out of the 2.21 crore houses registered, 1.25 have been built. The third or fourth instalments of 48 lakh houses has been transferred.
Under the third phase of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, out of 1.25 lakh kilometres, 13,900 km of roads have been approved. The proposal for approval of about 17,000 kilometres of roads is under consideration, which shall be approved within one month.
The foundation of rural development has been laid. With the change in infrastructure, we have mobilised the empowerment of villages by creating opportunities for industry and employment. In the shape of a changed world after the coronavirus transition, we have to decide whether we want a densely populated city or a balanced development between the village and the city. COVID-19 has once again forced the world to ponder upon this subject. The development of villages with the foresight of the Prime Minister will write the saga of New India.
The foundation stone of a self-reliant India lies in the development of rural regions
We have to decide whether we want a densely populated city or a balanced development between the village and the city
