Bhopal, Aug 5 — Madhya Pradesh will prepare development plans for urban and large gram panchayats and strengthen governance in villages located on the outskirts of cities as part of efforts to improve rural infrastructure, ensure planned development and enhance the delivery of public welfare schemes.
The roadmap was outlined by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav while reviewing the Panchayat and Rural Development Department on Wednesday.
Stressing the need to strengthen Panchayati Raj institutions, he said effective local governance was essential for systematic rural development and efficient implementation of government programmes.
“Empowering Panchayats is essential for systematic rural development and effective implementation of public welfare programmes. Action plans should be prepared for the development and better management of urban and large gram panchayats,” Yadav said in a statement.
He said panchayats located near urban centres should also be managed more effectively to facilitate planned development of roads and other civic infrastructure.
The Chief Minister also announced that the Jal Ganga Samvardhan Abhiyan would be carried out on a much larger scale next year to strengthen water conservation efforts across the state.
Highlighting the need to improve rural livelihoods, Yadav directed officials to promote cattle rearing under the Mukhyamantri Vrindavan Gram Yojana.
He said milk production was an effective way to increase farmers’ income, and cattle rearing should be encouraged at the household level under the scheme, with support extended to cow-rearing committees.
He also asked officials to link successful self-help groups with micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and other livelihood activities to create additional employment opportunities in rural areas.
During the review, officials informed the Chief Minister that Madhya Pradesh has ranked first in the country in quality control and maintenance of rural roads and in construction under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.
The state has also started using drone technology to assess the condition of rural roads.
Officials further informed that online citizen services are now available in 10,554 gram panchayats. At the same time, over 16.2 lakh houses have been sanctioned under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin) since December 2023, of which more than 8.19 lakh have been completed.