The 665 Self Help Groups (SHG) of the State would be provided with a seed capital of Rs 25,000 each for opening of a bank account similarly an amount of Rs 1 lakh would be provided to these groups for promotion of community farming.
Chief Minister Harish Rawat gave these orders while undertaking a review meeting of rural development department. He declared that a bonus of five percent on their annual turnover should also be provided to these groups. The CM said that a Gram Shree Puraskar Yojana would be launched on November 9 for wholesome development of villages. He suggested that budget of Rs 15 crore from the rural development fund should be allocated to Mera Gaon Meri Sadak Yojna so that villages are connected with the road network.
Rawat also directed to setup guidelines for use of this fund. He said that offices of additional block development officers should be opened in the blocks having bigger area or population. These additional offices would be opened in one block each in Garhwal and Kumaon division.
Rawat said that better implementation of Government schemes can be done by making the block offices more powerful. He gave orders that the families not covered under Pradhanmantri Awas Yojna should be provided money to construct houses under Mukhyamantri Gram Aawas Yojna. An estimated 30,000 families are expected to get benefitted by this scheme. The CM directed that families affected by the disaster should also be brought under the ambit of this scheme.
In the meeting Rawat said that villages need to be connected with roads to improve productivity of villages. He said that work on 189 new roads would soon be initiated under PMGSY. He stressed on expediting works under Border Area Development Fund and Rural pond schemes. Rawat said that one village in each district should be selected as model village and earmarked a sum of Rs 3 crore for the project.
The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Shatrughna Singh, Principal Secretary Manisha Panwar, Secretary AS Hyanki and other officers.