Rural scheme on fast track: DMs told to list 1,598 villages

With an aim to equip at least 1,598 villages with infrastructure facilities in the next one year under Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Samagra Gram Vikas Yojna, the Akhilesh Yadav government has directed all the district magistrates of the state to coordinate with the ministers in-charge and complete the selection of the villages by October 26 so that work on the projects could begin soon. Sources said the government wants to complete the development works in maximum number of villages before the Lok Sabha elections.

Agriculture Production Commissioner Alok Ranjan has sent the directives to nearly 55 DMs asking to furnish the list of villages to be developed in the current financial year 2012-13.

The development has came nearly a fortnight after Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav wrote letters to the ministers in-charge of the districts to complete the selection of villages in their districts at the earliest. The Chief Minister had written that the scheme was important and on priority list of the government.

In the next five years, the SP government has decided to develop infrastructure facilities in 9,998 villages under the scheme. The target number of villages for each district has also been fixed. While in the current financial year, work will be completed in 1,598 villages, over the next four years every year work will be taken up in 2,100 villages.

The scheme aims to develop the selected villages with approach roads, electrification, internal roads and drains, toilets, houses for poor, clean drinking water, schools, health sub-centres, street lights, and various pension schemes. Distribution of tablets and laptops to school children and unemployment allowance would be taken up in these villages on a priority basis.

Sources said that after the CM sent letters to the ministers, only 18 districts have sent the list of villages for the development works. "Nearly 25 per cent districts have sent their list of villages. The DMs of other districts have been directed to send the list by October 26," Ranjan said.

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