State drive to make regions quarrel-free

The Union government is planning to introduce two schemes across all villages in the country, a clean-up drive and making regions quarrel-free, which are being implemented in Maharashtra, Union rural development minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said on Sunday.

The Union government is planning to introduce two schemes across all villages in the country, a clean-up drive and making regions quarrel-free, which are being implemented in Maharashtra, Union rural development minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said on Sunday.

HT Image

"We have, in principal, approved Sant Gadge Maharaj Swatchhata Abhiyan, a clean-up drive and Mahatma Gandhi Tanta Mukta Abhiyan for quarrel-free villages, to be implemented by the Centre nationally in all villages," Deshmukh said.

He appreciated state home minister RR Patil who initiated these schemes in Maharashtra while holding the rural development portfolio. Patil was present at the event.

"We will soon declare the policy. Earlier, the Centre had implemented Employment Guarantee Scheme (EGS) at the national level after seeing its success in Maharashtra. Now, two more schemes of the state would go national," Deshmukh said.

Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan said the state would try to attract more funds from the Centre for rural development.

He expressed displeasure that the state received Rs300 crore for EGS from the Centre while Karnataka got Rs 3,500 crore.