HT
Saturation of welfare schemes in villages involving infrastructure, agriculture, health, education, drinking water, financial inclusion, skill development and economic opportunities is expected to be key to the central government’s rural campaign for the 2024 general elections, two people aware of the development said.
The government is optimising use of resources allocated by over 24 central ministries and departments to develop rural areas under the Mission Antyodaya. Outcomes of surveys conducted since 2017-18 help as inputs to prepare development plans at about 2.7 lakh gram panchayats (village councils), they said, requesting anonymity.
“The government is consciously trying to bridge divide between India and Bharat since May 2014,” One of them said. “As a result, about 12 crore households, mainly in villages, now have toilets under Swachh Bharat Mission, 9.6 crore free cooking gas connections are given to poor households under Ujjawala, about 45 crore persons got PM Suraksha Bima and Jeevan Jyoti yojana covers, and more than ₹2.60 lakh crore cash has been transferred to over 11.4 crore farmers under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi.”
