In a bid to ensure overall rural development in the state ahead of 2019 polls, Haryana Government has decided to expand the ambit of ‘7-Star Rainbow Scheme’.
The State Government has decided that zila parishads and panchayat samitis would also be a part of ‘7-Star Rainbow Scheme’ and its parameters from next year onwards.
Apart from this, with government’s focus on farmers and labourers in the state, facilities provided to them would also be made part of the scheme.
The scheme was launched in January this year by the Haryana Government to reward and encourage gram panchayats to actively carry out development works. The star rating to the village panchayats under the scheme is given on the basis of seven parameters such as sex ratio, good education, hygiene or serenity, environment preservation, good governance and social participation.
“In a meeting of State level Panchayat Performance Assessment Committee under the Development and Panchayats Minister held recently, the government has decided that zila parishads and panchayat samitis would also be made part of the ‘7-Star Rainbow scheme’ from next year onwards and its parameters. Questionnaires in this regard would be prepared accordingly,” said a senior officer of the State Government.
It has also been decided that questionnaire on facilities provided to labourers and farmers in villages would also be made part of the scheme, he said.
The State Government has also decided that fund of Rs 72 crore will be transferred from Swachh Bharat Mission Scheme to ‘7-Star Rainbow Scheme’ of the State Government, the officer added.
Recently, Haryana Government had announced to reward Rs one lakh for achieving each star to the villages.
As per government’s data, there are 6205 gram panchayats and more than 6700 villages in the state.
Under the ‘7-Star Rainbow Scheme’ of the Haryana Government, the villages having equal or more girl population would be given an additional Rs 50,000 as bonus with their reward money. And, the villages which adopted Swachhta Mission would be given additional Rs 50,000 as reward.
The villages winning six stars would be entitled to get the additional developmental works worth Rs 20 lakh, villages with 5 stars rating would be entitled to get the additional developmental works worth Rs 15 lakh and villages with 4 stars would be entitled to get the additional developmental works worth Rs 10 lakh done from the departments, said the Minister.
The winning villages would be awarded through ‘7-Star Award Ceremony (Star Vitran Samaaroh)’ to be held at Panchkula, Gurugram and Rohtak in the month of July.
Notably, to empower the panchayati raj institutions (PRIs) in the state, the State Government had last year announced to transfer development works and schemes of various departments to panchayat samitis and zila parishads for their effective implementation and monitoring.
Among other initiatives taken by the State Government to empower the PRIs included mandatory education qualification and other prescribed conditions for the elected candidates, increasing the limit of development works to be executed by gram panchayats from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh, construction of Gram Sachivalyas.