The Pune Rural Administration has successfully managed to carry out the Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural Areas (PURA) initiative, despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. This initiative, initially proposed by former President Dr. Abdul Kalam back in January 2003, sought to bolster and expedite rural development. This article provides insights into the workings, objectives, missions, amenities offered by PURA and its evolution over the years.
Origins of the PURA Scheme
In 2003, the discourse around empowering India’s rural population found a new direction when then President Dr. Abdul Kalam proposed the PURA scheme. The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) began trialing the scheme in seven clusters from the fiscal year 2004-05 to 2006-07.
The Launch of PURA 2.0
After an observation period of three years, MoRD took the initiative a step further by launching ‘PURA 2.0’ as a central sector scheme in 2012. The main focus of this revised scheme was on nurturing potential growth centres like census towns.
Objectives and Mission of PURA
At its core, PURA aimed to provide livelihood opportunities and urban facilities in rural areas to bridge the rural-urban divide. The overall mission was to encourage holistic and rapid development of compact areas around potential growth centres in a Gram Panchayat (or a group of Gram Panchayats). The scheme adopted a Public Private Partnership (PPP) framework to offer livelihood opportunities and urban facilities to uplift the quality of life in rural locales.
Amenities and Economic Activities under PURA
The PURA scheme encompassed a variety of amenities and economic activities including Water and Sewerage, Construction and maintenance of Village streets, Drainage, Solid Waste Management, Skill Development, street lighting, telecom services, electricity generation and village-linked tourism, to name a few.
Transition from PURA to Rurban Mission
However, in the fiscal year 2014-15, the government made no allocation to the PURA scheme; instead, it launched the Rurban Mission with an initial funding of Rs. 100 crore. The newly introduced mission aimed to establish 300 rural growth clusters across the country.
The PURA initiative has played a significant role in the transformation and development of rural India. Through its various facilities and activities, it has worked tirelessly to minimize the disparity between urban and rural regions. Despite facing obstacles like the Covid-19 pandemic, administrations like that of Pune Rural have successfully implemented the scheme, demonstrating its potential for broader application across the country.
