Taking cue from Modi, Raje launches village development scheme

On the lines of Prime Minister Nardendra Modi’s village adoption scheme, Vasundhara Raje-led Rajasthan government will soon announce a similar scheme for its legislators.

Under the Deendayal Adarsh Gram Yojana, each legislator will have to adopt a village and turn it into a model village in a fixed time-frame, ensuring its all-round development. 

BJP sources said the scheme is likely to be announced this month on the occasion of the first anniversary of the state government. It could come into being then or when the annual state budget is presented in March.

“This is not a new concept as the same scheme was announced by our chief minister in the previous BJP government in Rajasthan,” said a cabinet minister.

Sources said the legislators will have no choice in the allotment of villages, which will be done exclusively by the state government. This is to ensure that the most under-developed village in the  Assembly constituency gets due importance. 

During the selection of the villages under Modi’s Adarsh Gram Yojana, several MPs were alleged to have selected developed villages or preferred those near their birthplaces. To avoid such favouritism, the state government has reportedly decided to keep legislators away from the selection process this time.    

In the previous BJP government,  Vasundhara Raje had launched Deendayal Adarsh Gram Yojana and had identified 150 most backward villages. Then, the BJP government had made a provision of around Rs 22 crore for their development.

After the Congress came into power in 2008, the scheme was sidelined. Now the BJP wants to revive it with slight changes, including the adoption of villages by the legislators.

Sources said before restarting the scheme, the Chief Minister has sought detailed information about the work done under Deendayal Adarsh Gram Yojana. The basic structure and other modalities of the scheme will depend on the information that Raje gets.

Party insiders said the state government has briefed the national leadership about this scheme. Moreover, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already asked state governments to initiate schemes like the Adarsh Gram Yojana at the local level.