MP govt to prepare plans for urban, large gram panchayats
Bhopal, Aug 5
Madhya Pradesh will prepare development plans for urban and large gram panchayats and strengthen governance in villages located on the outskirts of cities as part of efforts to improve rural infrastructure, ensure planned development and enhance the delivery of public welfare schemes.
The roadmap was outlined by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav while reviewing the Panchayat and Rural Development Department on Wednesday.
Stressing the need to strengthen Panchayati Raj institutions, he said effective local governance was essential for systematic rural development and efficient implementation of government programmes.
"Empowering Panchayats is essential for systematic rural development and effective implementation of public welfare programmes. Action plans should be prepared for the development and better management of urban and large gram panchayats," Yadav said in a statement.
He said panchayats located near urban centres should also be managed more effectively to facilitate planned development of roads and other civic infrastructure.
The Chief Minister also announced that the Jal Ganga Samvardhan Abhiyan would be carried out on a much larger scale next year to strengthen water conservation efforts across the state.
Highlighting the need to improve rural livelihoods, Yadav directed officials to promote cattle rearing under the Mukhyamantri Vrindavan Gram Yojana.
He said milk production was an effective way to increase farmers' income, and cattle rearing should be encouraged at the household level under the scheme, with support extended to cow-rearing committees.
He also asked officials to link successful self-help groups with micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and other livelihood activities to create additional employment opportunities in rural areas.
During the review, officials informed the Chief Minister that Madhya Pradesh has ranked first in the country in quality control and maintenance of rural roads and in construction under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.
The state has also started using drone technology to assess the condition of rural roads.
Officials further informed that online citizen services are now available in 10,554 gram panchayats. At the same time, over 16.2 lakh houses have been sanctioned under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin) since December 2023, of which more than 8.19 lakh have been completed.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Good initiative to link self-help groups with MSMEs. Women in our village are doing amazing work in papad making and pickle packaging, but they lack market access. If this actually translates into real opportunities, it could transform rural livelihoods. Fingers crossed!
The drone technology for assessing rural roads sounds promising. But I hope they also focus on transparency — often these surveys are done, but the repair work takes years. Also, 8.19 lakh houses completed out of 16.2 lakh sanctioned means there's still a lot of pending work. Hope the pace picks up.
While this is good news, I wish the government would also address corruption at the panchayat level. Many schemes sound great on paper, but the money doesn't reach the intended beneficiaries. Stronger accountability mechanisms should accompany these development plans, otherwise it's just another announcement.
The Jal Ganga Samvardhan Abhiyan expanding is a big deal! Water conservation is critical in our state, especially for farmers. Last year it helped revive several ponds in our area. If done on a larger scale, it could really help us during the dry months. 🙏
Encouraging cattle rearing and milk production at the household level is a practical move. Many families in our village already have cows, but they struggle with getting good rates. If the government supports the dairy cooperatives properly, it can genuinely boost incomes. Ek baar implementation sahi se ho, toh bahut achha hoga!
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