The Union Minister of State for Rural Development recently shared an update in the Rajya Sabha regarding advancements made under the Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY). SAGY, a notable government initiative geared towards rural development, involves Members of Parliament (MPs) in developing three villages each by 2019 and a total of eight villages each by 2024. It is worthwhile to explore the scheme, its execution process, expected outcomes, and challenges faced during implementation.
About SAGY
Introduced in 2014 on Jai Prakash Narayan’s birth anniversary, SAGY assigns MPs the task of enhancing the socio-economic and physical infrastructure within selected villages. MPs are not allowed to choose their village or spouse’s village for development. The first model village or ‘Adarsh Gram’ was targeted for development by 2016, with two more by 2019. For the period of 2019-2024, each MP was expected to develop one Adarsh Gram per year, thus totaling to five. A compilation of 127 Central Sector and Centrally Sponsored, along with 1806 State Schemes is available for convergence under SAGY.
The Process
Under SAGY, the Gram Panchayat serves as the basic unit for development. MPs from the Lok Sabha select a Gram Panchayat from within their constituency, while Rajya Sabha MPs choose one from the rural area of a district within the State they represent. Nominated MPs can select any rural area in the country for this program. In addition to identifying a suitable Gram Panchayat, MPs engage with the local community and facilitate the Village Development Plan while mobilizing resources from Corporate Social Responsibility and philanthropies.
Expected Outcomes
SAGY’s projected benefits include improved employment opportunities, reduction in distress migration, eradication of bonded labour and child labour, and total registration of deaths and births. The scheme also looks towards creating an alternate dispute resolution system, maintaining peace and harmony, and influencing other Gram Panchayats.
Challenges
Unfortunately, only 2,111 gram panchayats have been identified thus far under this program, and out of those, 1,618 have prepared their development plans. Of the total 79,316 planned activities for these villages, only 49,756 have been concluded. MP’s lack of interest and insufficient funds from MPLADS in many SAGY villages contribute to the deficiencies in the project’s execution. Furthermore, the concept of SAGY has not effectively filtered down to field officials due to lack of accountability and political will. Some of the ‘Adarsh Grams’ are still struggling with issues such as Open Defecation, which point towards a limited impact of the scheme.
The Way Forward
SAGY was envisioned with the aim of creating model villages through convergence and dovetailing of schemes and prioritized execution. However, the seriousness required for achieving this objective seems to be lacking. MPs need to shoulder more responsibility towards the scheme. Emphasis on community participation and social mobilization can trigger a chain of development activities in the village, leading to overall upliftment.
