Tripura logs 99 % success rate in PM Awas Yojana: Union Minister

Union Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday heaped praises on Tripura Government on successful implementation of rural development schemes and asserted that Tripura has secured the top position in terms of performance in the sector of rural governance and development.

Speaking at the first ever elected representatives’ conference organised to mark the enactment of VBGRAMG scheme, the Union Minister said, “Tripura had a target to construct 3,76,913 dwellings under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana scheme. It has so far built 3,73,828 dwellings with a success rate of 99 percent. No other state in the country has reached so close to the target. A new survey has also been conducted based on which 2.55 lakh unsafe dwellings had been detected. On physical verification, it was found that around two lakh more dwellings are required to be built. Very soon these houses shall be sanctioned for Tripura.”

According to the Union Minister, the proposals for new Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana roads for connecting 109 Tripura villages would also be sanctioned very soon. “The process is almost over,” he added.

On the Agriculture Sector, the Union Minister said, a special team consisting of experts, agriculture scientists and top officials of his ministry shall visit Tripura to chart out a defined roadmap of the agriculture sector.

“I have spoken to the Chief Minister. Considering his suggestions, I have decided to send a team of agriculture experts from ICAR. They will conduct required soil tests, assess the agro-climatic condition of the state and also study the available water resources for agriculture. Based on their report, we shall go forward,” he added.

The Minister also announced an additional allocation of Rs 60 crore under RKVY (Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana) and Rs 4 crore under Dalhan Mission (Atmanirbhar in pulses scheme).

Thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for enacting the VBGRAMG Act, the Union Minister said, “The new law gives an employment guarantee of 125 days. As per the budget provisions, Rs 96,000 crore had been earmarked for this scheme. If the state’s share is also included, the total funds allocated for the scheme stand at Rs 1 lakh 51 thousand crore. In addition to that the Finance Commission shall grant Rs 55,000 crore for the 2.86 lakh Gram Panchayats across the country. The total funds for the scheme goes above Rs 2 lakh crore and if this scheme continues in this pattern, in the next five years, Rs 10 lakh crore shall be invested directly in the villages and Gram Sabhas have the full autonomy on how these funds shall be invested.”

According to Chouhan, VBGRAMG had been enacted to streamline the rural employment guarantee of the government of India. “The MGNREGA had certain limitations due to which fund defalcation couldn’t not be prevented with the existing norms. The new rules seek to fix accountability and infuse transparency in the system,” he added.