From Hamlet to Hub: How 'Viksit Gaon' Is Redefining India's Rural Destiny

On a first-ever drive towards rural development, Union Minister of State for Rural Development, Dr. Pemmasani Chandrasekhar, has urged for the instant establishment of "Viksit Gaon" (Developed Villages) as the key to achieving a "Viksit Bharat" (Developed India) by 2047. During his address to the Ministry's Performance Review Committee meeting, Dr. Chandrasekhar put forward an integrated agenda putting villages at the forefront of India's development story.

 

"A Viksit Gaon, where every household has a pucca house, every youth is employed, and every woman is economically independent, is no dream but a realizable possibility," averred Dr. Chandrasekhar, demanding new energy and imagination in rural policy.

 

Key Highlights
Universal Housing & Amenities: Over 3.22 crore pucca houses have been constructed under Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin and another 2 crore will be achieved by 2029. All the basic amenities will be provided to every family.

 

Rural Connectivity: 7.56 lakh km of rural roads.constructed under PMGSY, with demands for state-level maintenance funds and community monitoring for sustainability.

 

Women Empowerment: 1.5 crore women have turned into "Lakhpati Didis" (earning above ₹1 lakh per annum) through Self Help Groups with a target to double it to 3 crore. Above 10 crore women organized into 91 lakh SHGs, having bank linkages of over ₹11 lakh crore.

 

Youth Employment: More than 17 lakh rural youth trained under DDU-GKY, and more than 11 lakh placed in employment to check rural-urban migration.

 

MGNREGS Impact: The pilot job scheme creates more than 250 crore person-days every year, with emphasis now on asset creation and social involvement.

 

Villages Programme-II: ₹6,839 crore is being spent to modernize border villages with focus on infrastructure, livelihood, and security, with all-weather road connectivity and smart classrooms.

 

Holistic Vision: Emphasis on convergence of housing, employment, connectivity, and women empowerment to enable villages to become self-sufficient, clean, and skilled—the real backbone of a developed India.

 

Dr. Chandrasekhar attributed the incredible journey of rural development to Cabinet Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and appealed to all the stakeholders to move ahead with "innovative minds and unshakeable commitment."

 

Source: Economic Times Government, The Hans India, DD News, Organiser, PIB India.