Lok Sabha Question No. 3713 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-21
Subject: Smart Villages
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Annasaheb Shankar Jolle, Umesh G. Jadhav, Prathap Simha, Sanganna Amarappa Karadi, L.S. Tejasvi Surya

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## LOK  SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3713 ANSWERED ON 21/12/2021

## SMART VILLAGES

3713.   SHRI ANNASAHEB SHANKAR JOLLE: DR. UMESH G. JADHAV: SHRI PRATHAP SIMHA: SHRI SANGANNA AMARAPPA: SHRI L.S. TEJASVI SURYA:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  take  any  steps  for  the  development  of  rural villages as 'Smart Villages' in the line of 'Smart Cities' project;
- (b) if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the roadmap envisaged by the Government for the development of villages as 'Smart Villages'?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SADHVI NIRANJAN JYOTI)

(a) to (c) Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India has, as such, no proposal for the development of 'Smart Villages' in the line of 'Smart Cities' project being implemented by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in cooperation & collaboration with different State Governments. However, to improve the economic ability, livability and sustainability through  optimum  utilization  of  local  resources  in  collaboration  with  different  States  and Union Territories (UTs), Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission (SPMRM) was launched on 21 st February, 2016 for development of 300 ' Rurban Clusters' as economic growth centres in rural areas having locational and comparative advantage. 'Rurban Cluster' is a cluster of geographically contiguous 5-15 villages. Mission covers 300 such rurban cluster with 2857 Gram Panchayats in 28 States and 6 UTs.

The ultimate objective of the Mission is to stimulate local economic development, enhance basic services and create well-planned Rurban clusters of villages that preserve and nurture the  essence  of  rural  community  life  with  focus  on  equity  and  inclusiveness  without compromising  with  the  facilities  perceived  to  be  essentially  urban  in  nature.  The  Mission supports the states & UTs in providing upto 30% of Critical Gap Fund to incentivize 70% or more  of  remaining  fund  through  convergence  of  budget  and  resources  available  under schemes/programmes of different Central Sector, Centrally Sponsored and State government run schemes.

To  meet  the  above  objectives,  the  Mission  has  21  components  under  implementation  for provisioning facilities, including modern amenities supported by smart technology, to bridge the  rural-urban  divide.  Some  of  the  important  modern  amenities  being  provided  under SPMRM include creation of smart classroom, WiFi hotspots, Citizen Service Centres, Solid and Liquid Waste Treatment Plants, Solar Water Pumps, Water ATMs, e-Rickshaw, Digital Library, etc. The list of 21 components is at Annexure 1.

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## Annexure 1

The  following  are  the  twenty-one  (21)  desirable  components  under  the  Framework  of Implementation (FOI) of the Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission are:

1. Piped Water Supply
2. Sanitation
3. Solid and Liquid waste management
4. Access to village streets with drains
5. Village street lights and electrifications
6. Inter-village roads connectivity
7. Public transport
8. LPG gas connection
9. Skill development training linked to economic activities
10. Agri-service processing & allied activities
11. Education
12. Health
13. Digital Literacy
14. Citizen Service Centres
15. Environment
16. Employment Generation & SHG Formation
17. Tourism Promotion
18. Sports Infrastructure
19. Social Infrastructure
20. Rural Housing
21. Social Welfare