New Delhi, July 14 (IANS) Union Minister of State for Rural Development Pemmasani Chandrasekhar on Tuesday called for building a ‘Viksit Gaon’ to achieve a ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047.

Addressing the first meeting of Performance Review Committee of the Rural Development Ministry in New Delhi, the MoS said, “A ‘Viksit Gaon’ where every family has a pucca house with basic amenities, the village is connected by quality roads, every rural youth has employment opportunities, and every woman is empowered and financially independent is not a distant dream but an achievable reality.”

“It requires us to work with renewed energy, innovative thinking, and deep commitment,” he said.

Emphasising the role of the Rural Development Ministry in achieving this goal, MoS Chandrasekhar said we are not just implementing the schemes, but writing the next chapter of India’s growth story.

“Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Cabinet Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, we have made remarkable progress in rural development,” the MoS said.

Describing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) as a weapon against distress migration, especially during agricultural lean seasons, he said, “With Rs 90,000 to Rs 1,00,000 crore annual investment, it has resulted in creation of durable and productive assets”

Over 250 crore person-days have been generated annually, and more than 36 crore job cards have been issued, and over 15 crore workers are benefiting from the scheme, he said.

The MoS suggested shifting from wage payment to meaningful asset creation, adopting diversified work and its convergence with other development schemes and community participation in work selection.

Referring to the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G), MoS Chandrasekhar said that since its launch, more than 3.22 crore pucca houses have been built for rural families.

A target of constructing 2 crore additional houses by 2029 has been set to meet the rising demand due to family growth and rural population expansion, he said.

The Minister suggested the use of eco-friendly and region-specific construction technologies and cost-effective housing designs for building rural homes.

–IANS

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