NEW DELHI : Prime Minister Narendra Modi today launched the Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) aimed at turning villages into model villages through people’s participation, “demand-drewn and not supply-drewn programmes” and little dependence on government policies. Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said the SAGY would open a “new door for constructive politics” in the country and MPs, irrespective of their political affiliations, would feel proud of their contribution in developing a village on their own. “…It should not be supply-drewn but demand-drewn, not with government policies but people’s participation and not by imposing government decisions but taking the people into confidence and winning their trust,” he said. The Yojana which was launched on the birth anniversary of socialist leader Jayprakash Narayan focusses on empowering poor households and encouraging them to come out of poverty with participation by Members of Parliament. It also aims at improving the standard of living and quality of life of all sections of people by improving the basic amenities, building infrastructure and through social development.
The scheme announced by the Prime Minister on August 15 in his Independence Day address from the Red Fort entails that a Member of Parliament has to identify a village, other than his own or “in-laws’ village” and turn it into a ‘model village’ by 2016.
The MP has to later adopt two more villages and develop these into model villages by 2019.
After 2019, he has to develop five model villages till 2024.
The Prime Minister said he too would visit Varanasi (his Parliamentary constituency) shortly and adopt a village there in consultation with people.
Pointing out that every state has 5-10 villages which are well developed, he said this indicated that besides government policies, there were some decisions taken by the people in such villages, may be the elders,who helped in developing them. Had it only been for government policies, which are uniform for every village, all the villages in a state would be well-developed. That showed only government policies did not help.
“If we have to bring change in policies, we have to start from somewhere…there are many government policies but to take all policies to one goal, we need cooperation from all,” he added.
The Prime Minister said it was not a “small risk” that he had taken. But when all MPs would join, people would feel the difference.
He said the SAGY was not “ultimate” but a flexible thing and there was scope for changes and additions and improvements along the way.
(AGENCIES)
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