Four Delhi MPs — Karan Singh and Parvez Hashmi from the Rajya Sabha and Harsh Vardhan and Meenakshi lekhi from the lok Sabha — will have to undertake the arduous task of exploring new villages to be developed as a “model village” under the Saansad Adarsh Gramin Yojna (SAGY) after the villages selected by them were found to be under the urban category.
The MPs had proposed to develop Rithala, Dheerpur, Pilanji and Garhi under the SAGY, which was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 11, 2014, with a goal to create model villages in the country by March 2019.
The Union Rural Development Ministry’s decision to turn down their selections is based on the Delhi Government’s stand that the villages identified by the four MPs do not fall under the category of rural areas.
As per the SAGY guidelines, the MPs have to select rural villages from their constituencies, however, if such a village does not exist in their constituency, then they can select a Gram Panchayat from a nearby constituency.
“In case of Delhi, it is difficult for the MPs to select rural villages as urbanisation has taken over almost all rural areas.
The Ministry sought clarification from the Delhi Government on the status of the villages that the MPs proposed to identify under the scheme,” said a senior official from the Ministry.
Now, Rural Development Minister Birender Singh has written to Harsh Vardhan, lekhi, Karan Singh and Hashmi, asking them to again scout for villages that can be developed under the scheme.
Interestingly, before the rejection of their choice, these MPs had started visiting their adopted villages and announcing grand development plans for them.
For instance, New Delhi MP lekhi, who adopted Pilanji Village, promised modern and alternative technologies such as water recycling, solar power etc., to the locals for better utilisation of available recourses.
Union Minister Harsh Vardhan from Chandni Chowk constituency had visited Dheerpur and announced to provide Rs 11.29 lakh for Dheerpur Chaupal.
However, six other Delhi MPs - Janardhan Divedi who represents the Rajay Sabha, Udit Raj (North West Delhi), Mahesh Giri (East Delhi), Parvesh Sahib Singh (West Delhi), Ramesh Bidhuri (South Delhi), Manoj Tiwari (North East Delhi) have been given go ahead by the Ministry to initiate development works in the villages they have identified to be developed as Model Village.
The SAGY guidelines say that a lok Sabha MP has to choose a Gram Panchayat from within his/her constituency while a Rajya Sabha MP may pick one in the rural area of a district of his/her choice in the State from which he/she is elected. Nominated MPs can choose a Gram Panchayat from the rural area of any district in the country.
According to the Government, the gram panchayat thus identified should have a population of 3,000-5,000 in the plains and 1,000-3,000 in the hilly, tribal and difficult areas. In districts where such unit sizes are not available, Gram Panchayats approximating to the desired population level may be chosen.
The Government aims to get each MP to develop three Adarsh Grams by March, 2019, of which one would be achieved by 2016.