It is necessary to create developed villages for developed India, work is being done at the grassroots level: Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya

Keshav Prasad Maurya said that to fulfill Narendra Modi’s resolve of ‘Developed India’, it is very important to create ‘Developed Village’. The government is working with full commitment at the grassroots level to make the villages strong, self-reliant and well-equipped. The Deputy Chief Minister shared these things with the Union Rural Development Minister after high-level discussions on various important topics. He said that in the meeting there were positive discussions on many important issues related to rural development of Uttar Pradesh, strengthening the infrastructure and giving impetus to the rural economy.

Shri Keshav Prasad Maurya held a meeting with the officials of the Rural Development Department and gave instructions to implement the central schemes on the ground. He especially emphasized on increasing the number of Self Help Groups (SHGs) and economically empowering women. “Our aim is to bring revolutionary changes in the living standards of rural women. As per the vision of the respected Prime Minister, the officers will have to work in mission mode to make more and more women of the state ‘Lakhpati Didi’. The scope of self-help groups should be increased so that no rural woman is deprived of this mainstream.”

Major instructions given to the officers:

• Grassroots level implementation: The ongoing development projects in rural areas should be strictly monitored and it should be ensured that the benefits reach directly to the last mile.

• Expansion of self-help groups: New self-help groups (SHGs) should be formed in villages and old groups should be made more active and linked to new employment opportunities.

• Pace of ‘Lakhpati Didi’ scheme: Work should be done at a rapid pace on the target of taking the annual income of rural women above ₹ 1 lakh by giving them skill development training.

The Deputy Chief Minister reiterated that rural development is the basis of the progress of Uttar Pradesh. Only when our villages become strong and self-reliant, the country will become developed. The government is implementing budgetary provisions and schemes for the overall development of villages with complete transparency.