If our villages develop, so will our nation – Keshav Prasad Maurya
Lucknow: Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Keshav Prasad Maurya said that the upliftment of the country is possible only through village upliftment. The path to the prosperity of the country passes through the villages. We all have to work together to build a smart village like a smart city. Uttar Pradesh has to be made the best state. Keshav Prasad Maurya was addressing the conference of all the block development officers of the state organized at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan Gomtinagar Lucknow as the chief guest.
He called upon the Block Development Officers to hold a meeting of the heads and prepare a master plan for the development of the villages. Select 10 backward Gram Panchayats of each block and focus especially on development works in them and bring them into the mainstream. He said that just as all-round development is being carried out in the aspirational districts and aspirational development blocks with special focus on them, in the same way this work has to be done in the gram panchayats where development has been comparatively less, in various parameters.
But development work should be carried out by making a concrete and effective strategy through study, visit and discussion. He said that Block Development Officers are the focal point of development works, Block Development Officers play an important role in the implementation of almost every scheme and in many schemes the staff of the Development Department together have set new records in the country and the state. Construction of Amrit Sarovaro and organizing Village Chowpalo are being discussed on a large scale.
He said that BDO should take the development schemes of villages and poor to the last reaches of the society. A special cleanliness campaign should be conducted every month in the development block office. Block Development Officer should innovate and set new ideals. Said that now every year on September 4, a conference of Block Development Officers will be held. Said that Gram Chaupal is achieving very meaningful results.
Cleanliness campaign should be conducted in the village two days before the village Chaupal. He said that Amrit Sarovar and Amrit Vatika should be decorated in such a way that they become historical. Instructions were given that the list of beneficiaries of the schemes should be written in the permanent buildings of the Panchayats. He added that the goal of making a developed India by 2047 will be possible only through the development of villages.
He honored 10 Block Development Officers with citations for their excellent services and said that one or two Block Development Officers from every block will be honored for their excellent services.
Discussing the success of Gram Chaupals, the Deputy Chief Minister said that Gram Chaupals are being organized every Friday in two gram panchayats of each development block. On an average, one lakh villagers are coming to the Gram Chaupals organized in the state every Friday and on an average 9 thousand problems are being solved in the Gram Chaupals.
He stressed that a special cleanliness campaign should be conducted two days before the Village Chaupal and wide publicity should be given to the Village Chaupal. A copy of the roster of village chaupals should be made available to the public representatives and they should be invited to the chaupal. Said that the village chaupals should be made so grand and successful that in the coming times it should be discussed in the mind.
He said that Amrit Sarovar and Amrit Vatika should be decorated, maintained and preserved in such a way that they become historical heritage and prove to be a boon for the coming generations. Said that after the Forest Department, the Rural Development Department has the biggest target of tree plantation, and according to the target, tree plantation is also being done, said that now we have to keep the Rural Development Department at the forefront in saving and protecting the trees. He said that Block Development Officers should help the disabled people by organizing camps.
Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said that some such cases come to notice that the beneficiary who was first shown eligible in the housing scheme was later shown ineligible, said that the Block Development Officer should take such cases very seriously, investigate himself, The eligible should not be disqualified or the ineligible eligible without any factual reason.
The eligibility list of the beneficiaries should be kept public. He said that the process of getting the dilapidated buildings of the development blocks repaired will be done in a phased manner. Said that the issue of giving steno to Block Development Officers and the right to depute Village Development Officer will be considered. Assured to consider the problems/demands of PDS cadre and said that every possible effort will be made to solve every problem.
He said that corruption or negligence in any poor welfare scheme will not be forgivable under any circumstances. Discussing women empowerment, he said that Uttar Pradesh will play an important role in realizing Prime Minister Modi’s vision of making two crore sisters of the country millionaires, we should take a pledge to fulfill at least a quarter of it. Increase in women’s income brings prosperity to the whole family. Communicating new energy and new enthusiasm among the Block Development Officers, he said that no work is impossible if they are determined. We have to pay attention and motivate the villagers so that the labor force of the villages does not become hollow.
Minister of State for Rural Development Vijayalakshmi Gautam gave instructions to the block development officers to implement the schemes with complete transparency and honesty. Said that the BDO should implement the development plans by coordinating with the people’s representatives. Said that the government is committed for the upliftment of the villages and the poor.
Additional Chief Secretary Rural Development Himanshu Kumar said that a conference of Block Development Officers will be held at the state level.
This is an important initiative of Deputy Chief Minister Rana, it will definitely achieve meaningful results. Due to this, there is an opportunity to understand the problems at the grass root level and to a large extent the situation of lack of communication will also end. It is said that through this conference, all of us will be able to become more capable and efficient in serving the nation by doing village service.
Giving information about the progress of the schemes run by the Rural Development Department, Rural Development Commissioner GS Priyadarshi said that the schemes will be implemented with more promptness. Complete transparency will be maintained in beneficiary selection. It is said that the very pious work of revival of rivers has been done through MNREGA. Instructions were given to end the problem of water logging in the village through MNREGA and to make internal streets of the villages with MNREGA.
Additional Director of State Rural Development Institute BD Chaudhary, Deputy Commissioner Rural Development Department, Akhilesh Kumar Singh, Raghavendra Singh, senior officials of MNREGA Cell and block development officers from all the districts were present in the conference.
