A team of British Members of Parliament of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) has hailed achievements in development by Madhya Pradesh. The delegation of British MPs on a visit to the State met Panchayats, Rural Development and Social Justice Minister Gopal Bhargava at his residence on Wednesday.
They appreciated Madhya Pradesh Government for significant growth in social and economic sectors and rapid development in rural areas of Madhya Pradesh. The British MPs described Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan leading the state government for third time as very pleasant. On the occasion, extensive discussions were held on progress of programmes and schemes being implemented in the state with financial cooperation of British Government’s Department of International Development (DfID). Additional Chief Secretary Panchayats and Rural Development Aruna Sharma and other senior officers were also present on the occasion.
led by liam Byrne, the delegation of British MPs comprises Baroness Blackstone, Sarvshri Simon Burns, Stephen Hepburn, Baroness Manzoor, Baroness Northever, Virendra Sharma and Roberta Blackman-Woods. The delegation also appreciated ladli laxmi Yojana to check female foetus and Mukhyamantri Kanyadan Yojana to prevent child marriages.
They also discussed construction of all-weather roads in remote villages of the state, availability of banking service within every 5 kilometer radius through ultra small banks and communication facilities like internet connectivity to accelerate pace of development works in rural areas through information technology. They also apprised themselves with features of Samagra Social Security Mission launched to deposit benefits under various social security schemes and scholarships directly into beneficiaries’ bank accounts. They assured that DfID will provide all possible assistance for important programmes of social upliftment.
Additional Chief Secretary Aruna Sharma informed about better implementation of departmental schemes and improvement in rural living standards through empowerment of three-tier Panchayat institutions. Significant achievements of Panch Parmeshwar Yojana for ensuring sanitation and environment improvement in rural areas, Maryada Abhiyan to eradicate habit of open-air defecation in rural areas and mid-day meal programme for school children were also underlined on the occasion.
Sharma informed about features of Darpan software evolved to make accounting transparent in all 23,006 Gram Panchayats in the state. She also urged DfID to extend technical cooperation in this. The members were also provided printed copies of departmental schemes. Commissioner-cum-Director Finance Ashish Upadhyay, Director Social Security Mission Sanket Bhonve, CEO of State Rural livelihoods Mission lM Belwal and other departmental officers were present on the occasion.
