Government to launch Rurban mission in Kerala on 28th February

Ensuring availability of amenities to rural populace is on the top priority of the central government as 69% of India’s population resides in villages. A focused approach to make qualitative improvement in rural lives is being adopted through effective implementation, better outreach and continuous monitoring. This was stated by Chaudhary Birender Singh, the Union Minister for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Drinking Water and Sanitation while addressing the All India Regional Editor’s Conference here today. Explaining plans for rural development, he said that under Rurban Mission clusters of 15-20 villages having about 30 to 40 lakh population will be developed. Rurban Mission to ransform rural areas to economically, socially and physically sustainable spaces will be launched on 28th Feburary, 2016 will be launched from Kerala.In first year 100Rurban growth clusters will be developed. The mission aims to create 300 such clusters over the next 3 years, across the country. The funding for Rurban Clusters will be through various schemes of the Government converged into the cluster. To ensure an optimum level of development, fourteen components have been suggested as desirable for the cluster, which would include; Skill development training linked to economic activities. The State Governments would identify the clusters in accordance with the Framework for Implementation prepared by the Ministry of Rural Development. The clusters will be geographically contiguous Gram Panchayats with a population of about 25000 to 50000 in plain and coastal areas and a population of 5000 to 15000 in desert, hilly or tribal areas. As far as practicable, clusters of village would follow administrative convergence units of Gram Panchayats. For the selection of clusters, the Ministry of Rural Development is adopting a scientific process of cluster selection which involves an objective analysis at the District, Sub District and Village level, of the demography, economy, tourism and pilgrimage significance and transportation corridor impact. While the Ministry, following this analysis, would provide a suggestive list of sub districts to the State, the State Governments would then select the clusters following a set of indicated principles included in the Framework for Implementation. The mission aims to create 300 such Rurban growth clusters over the next 3 years, across the country. The funding for Rurban Clusters will be through various schemes of the Government converged into the cluster. The SPMRM will provide an additional funding support of upto 30 percent of the project cost per cluster as Critical Gap Funding (CGF) as Central Share to enable development of such Rurban clusters. Advocating need for change in economic scenario in rural India, the Minister said economic activities will help check migration from villages in search of livelihood, uprooting family fabric. Annual plan for each Panchayat will be drafted and Village Panchayats will be given financial and administrative powers. Referring to drinking water issue, the Minister said that at present India’s drinking water needs depend 85% on ground water and 15% on surface water. The governenment is working to reverse this current scenario.