Govt to seek corporate help to fund Adarsh Gram Yojna

Finding that over 100 parliamentarians are yet to adopt villages under the <g data-gr-id="27">Saansad</g> Adarsh Gram Yojna, the Ministry of Rural Development is mulling to rope in top corporate houses to give a funding boost to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s flagship programme.

The effort aims to rejuvenate the scheme with more funds at a time when MPs, cutting across party lines, have complained about funding. The Ministry, headed by Birender Singh, has written to major business houses of the country, urging them to support the government’s mission aiming at giving a facelift to villages by providing basic amenities. 

The Ministry has written to noted businessmen such as Gautam Adani, Azim Premji and Mukesh Ambani, among others. According to sources, the Rural Development Ministry expects that at least Rs 1,000 crore would be collected from the corporate houses. The Ministry has asked corporate houses to choose the villages and extend support to the rural areas adopted by MPs.

Apart from fund assistance, the Ministry has asked businessmen to share their work experience for <g data-gr-id="28">better</g> execution of public-centric schemes. According to sources in the Ministry, the Centre is expected to sign an agreement with corporate houses for honing the skills of youth in villages, which will help youth to get placed in different sectors.

The Ministry is in process to give a final shape to this model. The corporate houses have also been told to suggest innovative models of development to <g data-gr-id="24">ministry</g> for village development. The Ministry aims at developing villages at par with urban areas with the help of business houses.

Not only SAGY, the government is working to rope <g data-gr-id="23">in corporate</g> in other schemes such as solar power, water conservation, <g data-gr-id="22">Swachh</g> Bharat Abhiyan, toilet construction, crèche in rural areas.