Scheme for development of 44,000 SC-dominated villages

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee announced a new scheme for all-round development of 44,000 villages, in which the population of scheduled castes is over 50 per cent, on Monday.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee announced a new scheme for all-round development of 44,000 villages, in which the population of scheduled castes is over 50 per cent, on Monday.

HT Image

Mukherjee made the announcement while presenting the Union Budget 2009-10 in the Lok Sabha.

He said the scheme -- Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana -- will be launched this year on a pilot basis in 1,000 villages.

Under the scheme, for which Rs 100 crore has been allocated, each village would be able to avail gap funding of Rs 10 lakh over and above the allocations under the Rural Development and Poverty Alleviation schemes.

On successful implementation of the pilot phase, the scheme would be extended in the coming years.