Several months after it was launched, Haryana Government’s ambitious scheme wherein the MlAs were to adopt a village each under the Vidhayak Adarsh Gram Yojna has received a tepid response.
So far, only 39 of the total 90 MlAs have come forward to adopt a village each.
The Chief Minister Manohar lal Khattar had floated the VAGY on the lines of the Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojna, which was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October last year.
Manohar lal had himself in June this year adopted Keorak village in Kaithal district for development.
VAGY aims at achieving holistic, sustainable and inclusive development of villages, encompassing social, human and economic progress along with growth of infrastructure, by instilling a sense of ownership and pride through active participation of village community.
Under VAGY, all the Ministers and MlAs were supposed to identify Gram Panchayats (GPs) to develop so as to ensure development of the villages as Adarsh. As per the ambitious targets fixed by the State Government, VAGY aimed at developing three Gram Panchayats by September 2019 by each MlA. Out of which, the first would be developed by September 2017, the second by March 2018 and the third by March 2019. For this purpose, the first Gram Panchayat shall have to be selected on August 15 and the two others in next two years.
However, till now, only 39 MlAs have come forward to adopt a village under the scheme. Several MlAs especially in opposition have alleged that there are no funds at the disposal of the MlAs for the successful implementation of the scheme.
Surprisingly, while BJP has 47 seats in the 90-member State assembly, only 39 MlAs have adopted a village. Cabinet Ministers namely Capt. Abhimanyu, Anil Vij, Karan Dev Kamboj and Chief Parliamentary Secretaries Seema Trikha and Kamal Gupta among other MlAs are yet to adopt a village under VAGY.
According to the information, under the scheme, Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kanwar Pal has identified village Ariyanwala, Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma has identified Nagal Sirohi in Mahendergarh district, Urban local Bodies Minister Kavita Jain has identified Fazilpur, Rao Narbir Singh has identified Kankrola.
Meanwhile, all 15 Members of Parliament (10 lok Sabha and five Rajya Sabha) from Haryana have selected villages in their concerned areas under Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) in the first year of launch of the scheme.
The village development plans for each Gram Panchayat selected under SAGY have been prepared in the first year of launch of the scheme and many developmental works have also started in these villages, said Haryana Development and Panchayat Minister OP Dhankar on Monday.
The Minister said that village development plans are prepared by an elaborate consultative process with the community and Panchayts and all departments were asked to give these selected villages due priority in development.
A baseline survey has also been conducted in all the selected Gram Panchayats to ensure their holistic development.
Under SAGY, the standard of living as well as quality of life of all sections will be improved.
Meanwhile, under Pradhan Mantri Adarash Gram Yojana, the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment had released Rs 1.20 crore for 12 villages of Palwal and Faridabad districts in the state to ensure the integrated development of these villages having more than 50 per cent population belonging to Scheduled Castes into model villages.
These villages included, Akbarpur Natol, Meghpur, lohagarh, Khajurkha, Alapur and Gudharna in Palwal district and Maujpur, Tekawali, Fulera, Nagla Majra Chandpur, Bhaskola and Shahpur Khura villages falling under Faridabad districts.
The State Government had also started Swaprerit Adarsh Gram Yojana to facilitate interested persons, industrialists, NGOs, Universities, PSUs, Boards, Corporations and NRIs who wish to adopt any village as Adarsh Gram or make any contribution to the development of villages in a phased manner. The Deputy Commissioners concerned have been made nodal officers for their districts.