Bhopal, Oct 27 (IANS) The Madhya Pradesh government is preparing a development plan for 100 villages in Balaghat district that were affected by Naxalism, with more than Rs 225 crore earmarked for infrastructure expansion and livelihood generation, according to a state government statement issued on Tuesday.
The district administration has directed officials from various departments to visit all the identified villages within 14 days, interact with residents and prepare proposals based on their requirements.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav had announced the Rs 225-crore package on August 29 during his visit to tribal-dominated areas of Balaghat, with a special focus on the Baiga community, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG).
The development plan will prioritise roads, irrigation, drinking water, electricity, education and healthcare facilities. It will also focus on creating livelihood opportunities through agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, fisheries and forest produce-based activities, the statement said.
The 100 villages have been divided into clusters, with officials from the concerned departments assigned the responsibility of assessing infrastructure gaps and identifying potential employment-generating activities.
Development works will be undertaken using the earmarked funds as well as allocations available under various departmental schemes.
On October 26, departmental teams visited villages across five development blocks to interact with residents and assess their needs.
The villages covered included Kattipar, Satona, Bargud and Devarbeli in Lanji block, Dadekasa, Bilalkasa and Songudda in Birsa block, Lud, Hirri, Bharri, Sonpuri and Bithli in Baihar block, Chalisbodi and Mohanpur in Paraswada block, and Sitapar and Borvan in Kirnapur block.
During the visits, officials gathered information on the availability of basic facilities and discussed opportunities to strengthen agriculture, horticulture, livestock rearing, fisheries and forest produce-based livelihoods.
The information collected will be used to determine village-specific priorities, improve access to government schemes and prepare proposals for infrastructure and employment-related projects.
The administration has directed the teams to complete the exercise within 14 days.
The initiative comes after the Madhya Pradesh government declared Naxalism eliminated from the state earlier last year.
The government aims to bring the formerly Naxal-affected villages into the mainstream of development by improving public services and creating sustainable livelihood opportunities for local communities.
–IANS
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