The first meeting of State Advisory Committee (SAC) for Pradhanmantri Adarsh Gram Yojna (PAGY) was held in Shimla. Sarveen Chaudhary, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister presided over the meeting while Jai Ram Thakur, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister participated in the meeting and gave valuable inputs.
Sarveen Chaudhary said that 225 villages of Solan and Sirmaur districts have been identified under the Pradhanmantri Adarsh Gram Yojna and added that these would be developed as model villages. She said that the State Government would provide Rs. 22 lakh gap filling fund to identified villages and Rs. 46 crore have been released to both the districts. She directed the officers to prepare Village Development Plan by 20th May, 2012 for speedy implementation of the scheme.
She said that the State Government has enhanced the budget under SC Sub Plan from 11 to 25 percent and villages having SC population above 40 percent were being developed. She said that Rs. 742 crore were spent on infrastructure development in such villages during 2010-11 whereas provision of Rs. 816 crore were made during the previous year. She further said that the budget for the same has been enhanced to Rs. 914.64 crore for the current year.
S.K. Dass, Additional Chief Secretary, T.G. Negi, Principal Secretary, Irrigation and Public Health, Abhishek Jain, Director, SC, OBC and Minorities Department, Dr. R.N. Batta, Director, Rural Development and senior officers of the State Government were present in the meeting.
