Modi launches new unique scheme for development

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday launched the 'Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana' promising to bring a demand driven model for village development and expressed confidence that the scheme with its "constructive politics" will have a "viral effect" across the nation.

Referring repeatedly to Mahatma Gandhi and JP, he said the scheme under which each MP will take responsibility of developing physical and institutional infrastructure in one village by 2016 and three villages by 2019, is "not a scheme about money".

Elaborating his views on development, he said, "A debate is going on for long. Whether it should be from top to bottom or from bottom to the top. Discussions do help. But those who are working have to begin work somewhere ... the talk about bottom to top and top to bottom will continue in the academic world."

"We want to work. We want to see whether we can bring change through public participation ... I am not claiming that I will change the situation all of a sudden...This schemes is not the ultimate. Changes and improvement will come in this with the passage of time," he said.

He said though government schemes were working across the country, in each state there were a few villages that the state could be proud of.

The premier added that if one village is developed in a block, it is also likely to have a "viral" effect and development would permeate in other villages also.

"We are nearly 800 MPs. If before 2019 we develop three villages each, we reach nearly 2,500 villages. If in the light of this scheme, the states also create a similar scheme for MLAs, then 6-7000 more villages can be added," Modi said hoping that this will have a cascading effect elsewhere.