Union Minister for Rural Development and Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that why anyone should remain poor in a village and hence our Prime Minister has a dream, a resolution that is poverty free village. The Union Minister was addressing the gathering after attending the 66^th General Council meeting of the National Institute of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Rajendra Nagar, Telangana today.

Shri Chouhan further said that “Nobody should be poor in villages and everyone should be employed. Mahatma Gandhi’s vision was Gram Swaraj; when we talk about the rural development, infrastructural development takes the front seat. Shri Chouhan further said that rural development means good schools, good panchayat bhawan, good community bhawan, better health facilities in the village. That is why infrastructure is important. The villages need proper road connectivity, potable water, health facilities etc. Late Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee launched Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) in 2000, and the projects are taken forward by our visionary Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. When rural infrastructure development is discussed, Jal Jeevan Mission is another scheme worth mentioning,” he said.

Referring to the Aajeevika scheme, the Union Minister said that the Ministry of Rural Development has done a wonderful job for the empowerment of sisters through the Livelihood Mission. 10 crore sisters are associated with the Livelihood Mission across the country. Sisters have not only changed their lives, but are also playing an important role in changing the economy of India. It is possible only due to the training and capacity building given to women across India, they are emerging as leaders. Shri Chouhan further said that our Prime Minister has decided that currently there are 1 crore Lakhpati Didi's and now 3 crore Lakhpati Didi's have to be made. We are striving hard to bring all the necessary facilities to villages.

Union Minister said that apart from the significant role played by NIRDPR in the form of a think tank to the Rural development Ministry, more capacity building and training activities are needed,”. Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan further urged the students doing postgraduate programmes in NIRDPR to work for rural development.

On the occasion, two MoUs with JNU, New Delhi, for the Ph.D. program and Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), New Delhi, were signed in the presence of the dignitaries. The Union Minister for Rural Development and agriculture and farmers welfare also launched the online course for Gram Rozgar Sevak (GRS)

Later in the day, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan visited the Rural Technology Park on the campus and inaugurated the PMAY-G Model House (Double Bedroom). The house was constructed in 409.5 sq.ft. at a cost of Rs.4.04 lakh, which comes to Rs.987 per sq.ft. The house is constructed using the technologies such as random rubble stone for foundation, brick columns and RCC beams, Bamcrete walling using chemical treated bamboo strips, conical tiles roofing, locally available stones for flooring and painted with cow dung based paint.

Shri Kamlesh Paswan, Union Minister of State for Rural Development; Dr Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, Union Minister of State for Rural Development and Communications; Shri Shailesh Kumar Singh, Secretary, Rural Development; Dr G. Narendra Kumar, Director General, NIRDPR; Ms Tanuja Thakur Khalkho, JS & FA, MoRD; Ms Caralyn Khongwar Deshmukh, Additional Secretary, MoRD; Prof. Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, Vice Chancellor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and Prof Nupur Tiwary, Professor, Indian Institute of Public Administration, were also present.

The Union Minister and other dignitaries planted saplings at RTP and also visited the Mud Block making unit in the Park.

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