The Syama Prasad Mookerji Rurban Mission (SPMRM), a Central scheme for development of rural and urban areas, would be implemented in the State soon.
A decision to this effect was taken at the first State level Empowered Committee (SlEC) meeting held under chairmanship of Chief Secretary AP Padhi at the State Secretariat here on Wednesday.
Padhi, who heads the SlEC, advised officials to prioritise road, pipe water supply, electricity, street lightening, sanitation, health and housing schemes along with establishment of agro-processing units in the rurban areas in the 1st phase.
Panchyati Raj Secretary Deo Ranjan Kumar Singh said the basic objective of the Mission is to stimulate economic development, enhance basic services and create well planned rurban localities in the State. The Mission is aimed at bridging rural-urban gap, reducing poverty through enhanced income generating activities, development of small and medium enterprises and attracting investments in rural areas.
It was decided that the scheme would be implemented through a three-tier structure, Cluster Development and Management Unit (CDMU) at cluster level, District Project Monitoring Unit (DPMU) to be headed by district Collectors and State Project Monitoring Unit (SPMU) headed by the Chief Secretary. NRlM Director Pranab Jyoti Nath has been declared as State Mission leader for monitoring and supervision of SPMRM. IIT, Kharagpur has been taken up as the State Technical Support Agency (STSA) to provide technical support.
Secretary Panchayati Raj Sri Singh said a cluster will be a unit of geographically contiguous villages with a population of about 25,000 to 50,000 in plain and coastal areas. In tribal, hilly and desert areas the cluster will consist of contiguous villages with a population of 5,000 to 15,000.
Nath said seven clusters, including five from non-tribal and two from tribal areas, will be formed in the first phase.