Aiming to push far-flung and neglected rural areas towards progress, the Uttar Pradesh government has made nearly 2,492 panchayat bhawans digital under the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA).
The digital transformation of these panchayat bhawans has not only linked distant regions to the mainstream society but has also ensured effective and transparent implementation of government welfare schemes at the grassroots level, thereby benefiting every eligible person.
"With this, every information related to the government and the administration is also being made accessible to the rural populace. To enhance the livelihood of the youths residing in the rural pockets of the state, skill development training is being imparted to as many as 10 lakh youths. This has not only helped in providing employment but has saved them from their struggle of migrating to other states in search for jobs,” said a senior government official in Lucknow on Monday.
In another attempt to create employment opportunities for the youth in their respective rural residential areas, under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), the government has created over 116 crore man days and provided employment to about 1.50 crore workers. As many as 52,634 community toilets have also been constructed to end open defecation. Village secretariats have been established in every gram panchayat to make rural governance more responsive towards local development needs and to provide the benefits of government schemes to all.
The state government has also ensured uninterrupted power supply to villages for at least 20-22 hours in a day, in contrast to the previous regimes. Such efforts have not only transformed the villages but have also improved the standard of living of the rural populace.
Besides improving the condition of villages, the government has also laid special emphasis on empowering rural women socially and economically. In this regard, over five lakh women committees have been formed and nearly 48,565 self-help groups have been entrusted with the responsibility for maintenance of community toilets built in these areas. As many as 15,000 women have been deployed as Swachhagrahis. In addition, 4,450 pink toilets have been constructed for women and girls.