New Delhi
Union Minister of State for Rural Development and Communications, Dr Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, on Monday called for a focused effort to transform villages into ‘Viksit Gaon’ (developed villages) to achieve a ‘Viksit Bharat’ (developed India) by 2047.
Speaking at the first meeting of the performance review committee of the Ministry of Rural Development, Dr Sekhar said the goal is to ensure every rural family has a strong, pucca house, access to good roads, job opportunities for the youth, and empowerment for every woman. He said this vision is achievable with fresh energy and strong commitment.
Dr Sekhar praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Cabinet Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for leading rural development efforts. He highlighted the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) as a key tool in fighting rural unemployment. The scheme creates over 250 crore person-days of work each year, helping to stop distress migration and support families during tough farming seasons.
More than 3.22 crore pucca houses have been built under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana - Gramin (PMAY-G), and another 2 crore houses are planned by 2029. Dr Sekhar encouraged using eco-friendly and local construction methods to build these homes.
He also praised the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), under which over 7.56 lakh kilometers of rural roads have been built. He suggested forming state-level road maintenance funds and using community monitoring to keep roads in good condition.