Imagine a village with wi-fi connectivity, AC schools with CCTV cameras and mid-day meals, paved streets, mineral water and an independent public transport system...
It exists and the place is Punsari in Himmatnagar, Gujarat. Its a model village which the center is looking replicate across the country.
The village is now readying for a high-profile visit of additional secretary of Union government (rural development) L C Goyal on Monday to study this model so that it can be replicated across 640 districts in India.
Additional secretary (rural development) L C Goyal will visit Punsari on Monday and interact with local leaders and villagers to understand what makes the village click when infrastructure development is a challenge in villages in the country.
Punsari has won national as well as state awards for Best Gram Panchayat in 2011. Sarpanch Himanshu Patel (29) told TOI, "He (Goyal) will study the way we have harnessed state and national level developmental schemes to create infrastructure in the village which rivals the best in the country."
Additional secretary (rural development) L C Goyal will visit Punsari on Monday and interact with local leaders and villagers to understand what makes the village click when infrastructure development is a challenge in villages in the country.
Punsari has won national as well as state awards for Best Gram Panchayat in 2011. Sarpanch Himanshu Patel (29) told TOI, "He (Goyal) will study the way we have harnessed state and national level developmental schemes to create infrastructure in the village which rivals the best in the country."
Patel said the visit is prompted by the PMO as there are plans that similar model villages can be recreated — at least one in each district of India.
Punsari makes a perfect case study as it has not benefitted from NRIs and has instead relied on funds from central and state-sponsored schemes in the past eight years.
The village panchayat pays an annual premium of Rs 25 lakh against insurance for each of the 6,000 villagers who have a cover of Rs 1 lakh and a mediclaim policy of Rs 25,000. The schools have zero dropout rates since 2006 and a reverse osmosis plant supplies 20-litre cans to houses for a token amount of Rs 4.
The village panchayat had a capital of Rs 25,000 seven years ago. Today, the deposits have soared to Rs45 lakh. "The model can be easily replicated in India. It only takes smart planning, people participation and a non-corrupt system," says Patel.
Punsari makes a perfect case study as it has not benefitted from NRIs and has instead relied on funds from central and state-sponsored schemes in the past eight years.
The village panchayat pays an annual premium of Rs 25 lakh against insurance for each of the 6,000 villagers who have a cover of Rs 1 lakh and a mediclaim policy of Rs 25,000. The schools have zero dropout rates since 2006 and a reverse osmosis plant supplies 20-litre cans to houses for a token amount of Rs 4.
The village panchayat had a capital of Rs 25,000 seven years ago. Today, the deposits have soared to Rs45 lakh. "The model can be easily replicated in India. It only takes smart planning, people participation and a non-corrupt system," says Patel.
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