New Delhi, July 14 (IANS) Union Minister of State for Rural Development and Communications, Dr Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, on Monday called for a renewed push to transform villages into ‘Viksit Gaon’ (developed villages), as a necessary step towards achieving the goal of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ (developed India) by 2047.

Speaking at the first meeting of the performance review committee of the Ministry of Rural Development here, Dr Sekhar said that a future where every rural family lives in a pucca house with basic amenities, every village is connected by quality roads, every youth has employment opportunities, and every woman is empowered and financially independent, is not a dream but an achievable reality.

He said that to realise this vision, the Ministry must move forward with fresh energy, innovative thinking, and deep commitment.

“We are not just implementing schemes, we are writing the next chapter of India’s growth story,” Dr Sekhar said, crediting the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Cabinet Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for the remarkable progress made in rural development.

Highlighting the success of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Dr Sekhar said it has become a powerful tool against rural unemployment and distress migration, especially during the agricultural lean seasons.

He said with an annual investment between Rs 90,000 to Rs 1,00,000 crore, the scheme generates over 250 crore person-days of work annually, with more than 36 crore job cards issued and 15 crore active workers.

The minister stressed the need to move beyond wage payments and focus on creating durable and productive assets through diversified projects.

He also called for community involvement in selecting works and greater convergence with other development schemes.

On the housing front, Dr Sekhar informed that more than 3.22 crore pucca houses have been built under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G), helping families living in kutcha or dilapidated homes.

He said the government has set a target of building an additional 2 crore houses by 2029, and encouraged the use of eco-friendly, cost-effective, and region-specific construction technologies.

Dr Sekhar also underlined the success of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), under which over 7.56 lakh kilometres of rural roads have been constructed so far.

He suggested the creation of state-level road maintenance funds, use of community-based monitoring systems, and innovative financing models to ensure sustainability of road infrastructure.

–IANS

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