With an aim to speed up development of rural growth clusters, the Union Government has approved five Rurban Clusters with an investment over Rs340 crore for Odisha.
The Union Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) has informed the State Government in this regard asking the latter to chalk out roadmap for development of these rural zones, which have latent potential for growth.
Union Rural Development Secretary Amarjeet Sinha has informed the State Government that five clusters namely, Tala Basta of Banki in Cuttack, Banapur in Khurda, Thakurmunda in Mayurbhanj, Samasingha of Kolabira in Jharsuguda and Utkela under Kesinga in Kalahandi districts have been approved for development under Rurban Mission.
Sinha has said Rs341.20 crore is required for development of these five clusters, which will be developed by provisioning of economic activities, developing skills and local entrepreneurship and providing infrastructure amenities.
The Government of India has approved 100 clusters in the country in first phase for which the State Governments are preparing the Integrated Cluster Action Plans (IACP)s. In the meantime, 50 IACPs have been approved for 15 States.
These clusters are constituted by selecting geographically contiguous Gram Panchayats with a population of about 25,000 to 50,000 in coastal and 5,000 to 15,000 in tribal areas around the fastest growing Gram Panchayat in a tehsil.
While the State Government has utilized scientific method to select the clusters, due cognizance was given to rural demography, growth in non-farm work force, tourism and pilgrimage significance.
IACP are prepared for Rurban Clusters, which are comprehensive plan documents detailing out the strategy for the cluster, desired outcomes for the cluster under the mission along with the resources to be converged under various Central Sector, Centrally sponsored and State sector schemes.
Critical Gap Funding (CGF) is also required for the development of the clusters and the Rurban Mission will provide the CGF up to 30 per cent of the project cost per cluster as Central share to enable their development.
National Mission eyes to develop 300 Rurban Clusters in the country and the Mission hinges on effective convergence of various synergic schemes towards resources mobilization for 70 per cent of the funds required for the development of Rurban Clusters.
In Odisha, the Department of Panhayati Raj is preparing the IACP and will be implementing the programme.
While thrust is given for development of basic amenities, Rs267 crore will be spent for providing drinking water, inter village connectivity, improvement of village drains and streets, sanitation, solid waste management, street lighting, public transport, housing, electrification, housing and water harvesting.
There will activities for providing social amenities, digital amenities and economic activities for which over Rs70 crore will be spent.
So these clusters will be developed with a full-fledged manner so that rush to urban centers will be lessened and rural areas will have comprehensive growth with the facilities available.