In Jharkhand’s Bokaro district, a senior official believes it has the potential to become a model of development for the country.
As part of the ‘Vikasit Bharat’ initiative, officials from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting visited Bokaro and Ramgarh.
On November 15, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the ‘Vikasit Bharat Sankalp Yatra’ from Jharkhand’s Khunti district. The nationwide outreach program aims to make sure that the government’s welfare measures reach those who need them.
“Jharkhand’s Bokaro could become a model district of development for the country… where we found better implementation of central schemes as well as distribution,” said Shambhu Nath Choudhary, Additional Director General (ADG) in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
According to Choudhary, welfare schemes include sanitation facilities, financial services, electricity connections, access to LPG cylinders, housing for the poor, food security, reliable healthcare, and clean drinking water.
“We stayed in Bokaro for over eight hours and saw the developmental activities in Peterwar, Kasmar and Gomia blocks,” he said.
Choudhary said 100 acres of barren land in Peterwar is being turned into agri-farming with mango, guava trees, and other vegetable crops grown by women self-help groups. Approximately 60 acres have already been developed.
“In Gomia, we saw 42 hutments with two-room set, one-kitchen, toilet and electricity connection provided mainly to the extremely poor Pasi community under the PM Awas Yojana,” he said.
As opposed to the Center’s requirement for 75 such sarovars in each district, Bokaro has 92 Amrit Sarovars (water bodies).
According to an official release, the ‘Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra’ has reached over 36,000 Gram Panchayats and engaged over 1 crore citizens.
