CM to transform 1000 villages in collaboration with corporate sector

To achieve the target, a company or trust will soon be registered that will implement the schemes as per the requirement of the villages by establishing governing council.

After ‘Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan’ — aimed at water conservation in drought prone areas through public participation —Fadnavis government has come up with another idea to transform villages of the state as model villages with joint effort of the government and corporate sector. To achieve the target, a company or trust will soon be registered that will implement the schemes as per the requirement of the villages by establishing governing council. Representatives from the corporate world and dignitaries from other sectors will be the members of this council headed by the chief minister.

In the first phase, CM has planned to transform 1000 villages in the next two years with the help of the corporate sector and others. (Rajanish Kakade/Hindustan Times)

The aim is to converge all government schemes and activities going on through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for transformation of the most backward areas of the state. In the first phase, CM has planned to transform 1000 villages in the next two years with the help of the corporate sector and others. A corpus fund will also be made for which the state government and corporate will contribute equal share.

To take them on board, CM Fadnavis on Thursday has called on a luncheon meeting with corporate honchos and other dignitaries to deliberate on the concept and make a concrete plan to achieve the target involving active participation of the sector.

Around 60 dignitaries were invited for the event that included industrialists, philanthropists and Bollywood personalities. Ratan Tata, Anand Mahindra, Rajshree Birla, Ronnie Screwvala, Amitabh Bachchan were among those who attended the high level meet.

Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan has agreed to become the face of the mission. He said that awareness and communication are important tools in achieving a target and if by using his face and voice, transformation of villages can be achieved, then he would be very happy to become part of it.

Appreciating the effort, Ratan Tata said that CM wanted to transform the hinterland of Maharashtra in to hinterland of prosperity and Tata trust is ready to partner with the state government in bringing this change.

While Anand Mahindra said they are too ready to support the cause as there is no lip service. “CM has assured us to drive the mission every quarterly,” he stated.