Ujjain : 357 villages are now looking forward to enjoy the amenities on a par with cities that include regular water supply, solid and liquid waste management, street lights, a healthcare system, skill training and IT linkages. If implemented, scheme will accelerate economic activities in rural areas and will help in reducing population burden and congestion in urban areas.
The idea of a ‘Smart Village’ promises vibrant livelihood opportunities at every household, (setting up of) micro enterprises, home for all with access to toilets, safe drinking water and power, 100 per cent institutional deliveries, no girl child marriages, bank accounts for all households, besides telecom and internet connectivity.
67 villages from the district were chosen for the ‘Smart’ tag by the State government and the official announcement was made by Minister for Co-operative, Social Justice, Panchayat and Rural Development Gopal Bhargava, in a meeting of Sarpanch and Secretaries of the all the villages chosen, held here on Wednesday.
The meeting cum workshop was organized to create a spark among the Panchayat heads about the new scheme. Minister Bhargava addressing the meeting termed it as his contribution to the Simhastha fair, by including 357 villages in Smart Village scheme. Minister Bhargava announced that double grant will be given to Panchayats who will generate taxes more than 20 lakhs.
Member of Parliament Dr Chintamani Malviya, MLA’s Mohan Yadav, Satish Malviya, Anil Firojiya, Bahadur Singh Chouhan, Zila Panchayat President Mahesh Parmar, Secretary Panchayat and Rural Development Raghuvir Shrivastava and Collector Kavindra Kiyawat were present.
Simhastha fair rules all
The officials on the occasion linked the inclusive development scheme to the upcoming Simhastha fair. Divisional Commissioner Dr Ravindra Pastor, giving the welcome speech said 5 crore pilgrims will visit the Simhastha from routes of nearby villages as the six important routes connecting to the city, lie within these villages. Dr Pastor said Sanchi Milk parlours and temporary restaurants will be promoted in these villages. The scheme also contains proposal to colour all the houses in the village with same colour. Deliberating on availability of funds, he said, allocation by fourteenth finance commission will substantiate the basic need to kick off the project. In five years Rs 1200 crore will be released, of which Rs 731 crore have already reached as first installment, he informed.
The residents of these villages will give the tourists an unforgettable hospitality during their visit. Additional Chief Secretary of Panchayat and rural development department, Aruna Sharma, said the purpose is to instill the feeling of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’. Sharma said the villages will be made Wi-Fi, every house will be built pukka and must have toilets. Other than this the roads will be concreted and basic amenities will be guaranteed. The waste management will be categorized and solid-liquid waste will be treated separately. The funds for the scheme will be provided by the State government other than this the Panchayats have right to levy and the taxes will be used to implement schemes.
