The centre has launched two new rural development
schemes from the Thrissur district of Kerala aimed at helping the women
working in farm sector through the intervention and integration of other
such schemes. The second scheme launched from Thrissur and Malapuram
districts is rechristened as new PURA( Provision of Urban Amenities in
Rural Areas), which is aimed at creating physical infrastructure in
rural areas of the country in the Public-Private Partnership mode.
Launching both the schemes, the Union Minister of Rural Development Sh
Jairam Ramesh said here that the government is embarking on a very
important journey by launching the two national projects, whose results
will be visible to the common man in the coming three to four years. The
first project called Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Yojana has two
components with a budgetary provision of Rs 80 crore each and is
designed for improving the economic status of about three lakh women
workers in the state of Kerala. The scheme will be launched in the
entire country based on the feedbacks as is being done in the case of
Kutumbshri scheme, which is highly successful in Kerala and other states
are demanding for replicating the same self-help group model.
Responding to the queries of the Kerala Chief Minister that timing for
MGNREGA scheme for women workers should be fixed from 9.AM to 4. PM,
Shri Ramesh assured that the Centre will seriously look into the matter
as the women have other family responsibilities also. He also informed
the Chief Minister, present on the occasion that dairy related works
will be included in the MGNREGA from 1st of April this year as an expert
committee has recommended the same in this regard. It is pertinent to
mention here that women constitute more than 90 percent of the all
MGNREGA workers in the state.
Launching the PURA project from the Thrissur and Malapuram districts of Kerala, the Rural Development Minister said this is different from the PURA conceived by the former President Dr A.P.J.Abdul Kalam, as the new project deals with water supply, sanitation and improvement of roads as key focus areas and is not related to the Knowledge connectivity idea of Dr Kalam. Moreover, under this all central government schemes will be integrated under the Gram Panchayat as nodal agency and there will be Public-private partnership between the Central Government, State Government and the private players to build and improve upon the physical infrastructure. Shri Ramesh said, initially there will be eight PURA projects in the country which can be extended to 500 centres known as census towns (semi-urban & semi-rural) as the latest census talks about over 3500 such areas in the country.
Launching the PURA project from the Thrissur and Malapuram districts of Kerala, the Rural Development Minister said this is different from the PURA conceived by the former President Dr A.P.J.Abdul Kalam, as the new project deals with water supply, sanitation and improvement of roads as key focus areas and is not related to the Knowledge connectivity idea of Dr Kalam. Moreover, under this all central government schemes will be integrated under the Gram Panchayat as nodal agency and there will be Public-private partnership between the Central Government, State Government and the private players to build and improve upon the physical infrastructure. Shri Ramesh said, initially there will be eight PURA projects in the country which can be extended to 500 centres known as census towns (semi-urban & semi-rural) as the latest census talks about over 3500 such areas in the country.
