New Delhi: Giving a major thrust to rural India in the Union Budget, finance minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday increased allocation under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Aawaas Yojana (gramin) from Rs 15,000 crore to Rs 23,000 crore for 2017-18.
“We propose to complete one crore houses by 2019 for the houseless and those living in kutcha houses. I have stepped up the allocation for Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin from Rs 15,000 crore in 2016-17 to Rs 23,000 crore in 2017-18,” Mr Jaitley said.
Similarly, the allocation for National Rural Livelihood Mission for promotion of skill development has also been increased to Rs 4,500 crore in 2017-18. “I propose to increase the allocations for Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana — National Rural Livelihood Mission — for promotion of skill development and livelihood opportunities for rural areas to Rs 4,500 in 2017-18. The allocation for credit support schemes has been increased over three times,” the minister said.
For imparting new skills to the people in the rural areas, mason training will be provided to 5 lakh people by 2022, with an immediate target of training at least 20,000 persons by 2017-18, he added. The centre aims to ensure safe drinking water to over 28,000 arsenic and fluoride affected habitations in the next four years.
“We propose to provide safe drinking water to over 28,000 arsenic and fluoride affected habitations in the next four years. This will be a sub mission of the National Rural Drinking Water Programme,” he said.
The minister also mentioned that Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) has made tremendous progress in promoting safe sanitation and ending open defecation.
Sanitation coverage in rural India has gone up from 42 per cent in October 2014 to about 60 per cent. Open defecation free villages are now being given priority for piped water supply, he added. In this year’s Budget, the allocation for the rural development ministry has also been increased by more than 10 per cent to Rs 1.07 lakh crore from Rs 97,760 crore.
