Only 3 MPs adopt villages in Phase II of Central scheme

Vishav Bharti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 18

Phase I began with a big bang. And by the end of Phase II, all, but three MPs, from Punjab have forgotten to adopt villages. This is the fate of the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAANJHI) in the state. Phase II concluded this March.

Sources in the Department of Rural Development and Panchayats said that in Phase I of the programme, all 20 MPs (including seven Rajya Sabha members) from the state had adopted a village each.

But in Phase II (April 2016 to March 2017), only three parliamentarians — Dr Dharamvira Gandhi from Patiala, Harsimrat Kaur Badal from Bathinda and Prem Singh Chandumajra from Anandpur Sahib — expressed willingness to adopt villages.

Dr Gandhi has selected Jansua village in Rajpura; Harsimrat, Barre village in Budhlada; and Chandumajra, Khatkar Kalan in Nawanshahr.

None of the remaining 17 MPs has shown interest in the scheme.

C Siban, Director, Department of Rural Development and Panchayats, confirmed MPs’ unwillingness in the programme. “We have written to all MPs to select villages,” he said.

Besides, the department has written to all Deputy Commissioners to help MPs in selecting villages by May 31.

The unwillingness in reflected in Phase I as well, though of different nature. The works taken up during Phase I are nowhere near completion. Sources said only 25 per cent of projects had been completed in 20 villages, while another 25 per cent of works are in progress. The work on the remaining projects is yet to start.

SAANJHI launched in October 2014 envisages development of selected village across multiple areas such as agriculture, health, education, sanitation, environment and livelihood.

The common grudge of MPs about the scheme is that it doesn’t have a separate fund, but uses funds from existing schemes such as the MPLAD Fund, MGNREGA and Indira Awaas Yojana.