NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday appealed to the people to visit border villages as part of the "Vibrant Village programme" announced in the budget 20-23.
The programme is vital for the development of border villages, he added.
"How wonderful it would be if people from tehsils go to the border villages and experience for themselves, the ambience there, how people live there. It will not only be an educational activity but will also help support our Vibrant Villages scheme," Modi said while addressing a webinar on Budget 2022-23 on the theme "#LeavingNoCitizenBehind" focussing on water and rural development.
The series of webinars is a part of the new initiative of discussion and dialogue with various stakeholders associated with the programme. Striking an emotional chord with the villages, the PM suggested holding birthday celebrations of the villages.
"Women are the backbone of rural economy and over time, financial inclusion has ensured that they participate in the economic decisions of a family," Modi said and added, the scope needs to be broadened through Self Help Groups (SHGs).
As part of the Jal Jeevan Mission, the PM said, his government aims at providing 4 crore connections and suggested that more needs to be done. "I insist that each and every state ensures good water quality through the pipeline that is being laid, the water that is being made available through taps."
"Now is the time that 100 per cent saturation is achieved in providing basic facilities like water, electricity and all. We will need to push with all our energy. The budget has a clear roadmap for implementing these schemes," the Prime Minister said and enumerated the schemes — PM Awas Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Grameen Sadak Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission, connectivity with the NE India, broadband connectivity for rural India— saying provisions for which has been made in the budget.
PM Modi also mentioned the PM Development Initiative for the NE region (PMDevINE) and the SVAMITVA scheme under which 40 lakh property cards have been distributed.
"Optimum utilization of each and every penny is needed," he asserted.
As part of achieving Atma Nirbhar Bharat by providing 55 litres per capita per day (lpcd) clean tap water through a tap in every rural household, the webinar was organized on the implementation of Budget 2022 focusing on water and sanitation. As many as 100 districts, 1,144 blocks, 66,647-gram panchayats and 1,37,642 villages have become 'Har Ghar Jal'.
Three States - Goa, Telangana, and Haryana and three UTs - A&N Islands, D&N Haveli & Daman & Diu and Puducherry have provided 100 per cent tap water coverage to their people.
The SVAMITVA scheme was launched on April 20, 2020, on the National Panchayati Raj day. It aims to demarcate inhabited (Abadi) land and provide a Record of Rights/Property Cards in rural areas.
The pilot phase of the scheme was launched in 2020 with nine states. Currently, the scheme is ongoing in 29 states and UTs and aims to cover all the villages by 2025. (IANS)
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