Mumbai, April 18: The Union government is planning to introduce two schemes across all the 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 today.
“We have, in principal, approved Sant Gadge Maharaj Swatchhata Abhiyan, a clean up drive and Mahatma Gandhi Tanta Mukta Abhiyan, the quarrel-free villages, to be implemented by the centre nationally in all villages,” Deshmukh said at an event here.
He appreciated state Home Minister R R Patil who initiated these schemes in Maharashtra while holding Rural
Development portfolio which received a huge success. Patil was also present at the event.
“We would soon declare the policy with regard to the two schemes. Earlier, the Centre had implemented Employment Guarantee Scheme at the national after seeing its success in Maharashtra. Now, two more schemes of the state would go national,” Deshmukh said.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, speaking at the same function said that the state would try to attract more funds from the centre for rural development.
He expressed displeasure that the state received only Rs 300 crore for Employment Guarantee Scheme from the Centre while Karnataka succeeded in getting Rs 3500 crore under the same scheme, he said.
——–PTI