Lok Sabha Question No. 2317 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-04
Subject: Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar Scheme
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Shri Tharaniventhan M S

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2317

TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.08.2025

## MERA GAON MERI DHAROHAR SCHEME

## 2317. Shri Tharaniventhan M S:

## Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  of  the  number  of  villages  identified  and  documented  under  the  Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar (MGMD) scheme so far, with State-wise, particularly Tamil Nadu;
- (b) whether the scheme takes into account the unique linguistic, cultural, and heritage practices of Tamil Nadu, including temple architecture, folk arts, Siddha medicine andclassicaltraditions;
- (c) whether  any  proposals  from  the  Government  of  Tamil  Nadu  or  local  bodies  have been submitted for inclusion under MGMD and the status of those proposals;
- (d) the details of the measures taken to ensure that local communities involved in the documentation  and  preservation  process  and  any  economic  or  skill  development benefits received by them from this initiative; and
- (e) whether the Government plans to promote these heritage villages through tourism, digital platforms and educational initiatives and if so, the details of the number of many villages in Tamil Nadu are included in such plans?"

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

- (a) A total of approximately 6.5 lakh villages across India have been identified, out of which data for around 4.7 lakh villages have been uploaded on the MGMD portal. In the state of Tamil  Nadu,  data  for  14,251  out  of  19,219  villages  have  been  mapped  and  uploaded. State-wise  and  district-wise  details  for  Tamil  Nadu  are  provided  in  Annexure-I  and Annexure-II, respectively.
- (b) The MGMD Programme, through its comprehensive portal, takes into account the unique linguistic, cultural and heritage practices of each village, including temple architecture, folk arts and classical traditions. This includes the distinct traditions of Tamil Nadu such as Siddha medicine and local art forms.
- (c) No, Sir.
- (d) A crowdsourcing option is available on the MGMD Portal, enabling local communities to actively participate in the documentation and preservation of cultural heritage., Villagers are encouraged to submit and validate cultural information related to their own villages. However, no economic or skill development benefit have been extended to the villagers under this initiative.
- (e) Yes,  the  Government  of  India  is  taking  steps  to  promote  heritage  villages  across  the country  through  cultural  tourism,  digital  platforms,  and  educational  initiatives.  These include encouraging participation in cultural events, showcasing traditional art forms, and creating  awareness  through  digital  and  educational  outreach.  However,  there  is  no specific initiative exclusively for the villages of Tamil Nadu.

*******

## Annexure mentioned in the reply to part (a) of Lok Sabha unstarred question No. 2317 asked on August 04, 2025 regarding 'Mera Gaon Meri DharoharScheme'

## Village Data Uploaded: State-wise

| State/UT                                     |   No. of Villages Uploaded |
|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------|
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands                  |                         74 |
| Andhra Pradesh                               |                      14131 |
| Arunachal Pradesh                            |                       3884 |
| Assam                                        |                      14868 |
| Bihar                                        |                      36143 |
| Chandigarh                                   |                         12 |
| Chhattisgarh                                 |                      17349 |
| Delhi                                        |                        170 |
| Goa                                          |                        430 |
| Gujarat                                      |                      13406 |
| Haryana                                      |                       7502 |
| Himachal Pradesh                             |                      19113 |
| Jammu and Kashmir                            |                       6596 |
| Jharkhand                                    |                      28336 |
| Karnataka                                    |                      13712 |
| Kerala                                       |                        892 |
| Ladakh                                       |                        197 |
| Lakshadweep                                  |                          1 |
| Madhya Pradesh                               |                      42625 |
| Maharashtra                                  |                      20307 |
| Manipur                                      |                        285 |
| Meghalaya                                    |                       6975 |
| Mizoram                                      |                       1015 |
| Nagaland                                     |                       1469 |
| Odisha                                       |                      35834 |
| Puducherry                                   |                        126 |
| Punjab                                       |                      10691 |
| Rajasthan                                    |                      39386 |
| Sikkim                                       |                        257 |
| Tamil Nadu                                   |                      14251 |
| Telangana                                    |                       4909 |
| The Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu |                        106 |
| Tripura                                      |                        897 |
| Uttar Pradesh                                |                      71076 |
| Uttarakhand                                  |                      14339 |
| West Bengal                                  |                       5917 |

Annexure mentioned in the reply to part (a) of Lok Sabha unstarred question No. 2317 asked on August 04, 2025 regarding 'Mera Gaon Meri DharoharScheme'

## District-wise Number of Villages Mapped and Uploaded on MGMD Portal - Tamil Nadu

| District        |   No. of Villages Uploaded |
|-----------------|----------------------------|
| Ariyalur        |                        197 |
| Chengalpattu    |                        629 |
| Chennai         |                        114 |
| Coimbature      |                        246 |
| Cuddalore       |                        366 |
| Dharmapuri      |                        411 |
| Dindigul        |                        411 |
| Erode           |                        520 |
| Kalakuruchi     |                        465 |
| Kanchipuram     |                        506 |
| Kanyakumari     |                        213 |
| Karur           |                        197 |
| Krishnagiri     |                        351 |
| Madurai         |                        707 |
| Mayiladuthurai  |                        244 |
| Nagapattinam    |                        194 |
| Namakkal        |                        338 |
| Perambalur      |                        140 |
| Pudukottai      |                        654 |
| Ramanathapuram  |                        369 |
| Ranipet         |                        210 |
| Salem           |                        478 |
| Sivaganga       |                        487 |
| Tenkasi         |                        256 |
| Thanjavur       |                        759 |
| The Nilgiris    |                         57 |
| Theni           |                        157 |
| Thiruvallar     |                          1 |
| Thiruvallur     |                        503 |
| Thiruvarur      |                        486 |
| Tirucherappalli |                        575 |
| Tirunalveli     |                        319 |
| Tirupathur      |                        177 |
| Tiruppur        |                        346 |
| Tiruvannamalai  |                        776 |
| Tuticorin       |                        358 |
| Vellore         |                        179 |
| Villupuram      |                        421 |
| Virudhunagar    |                        434 |
| TOTAL           |                      14251 |