The Ministry of Rural Development has today released an e-book to highlight its achievements in the rural community through its schemes and initiatives in the last two years.

Highlighlighting the key achievements of 2019-21, the ministry has informed that over 296,000 women self help group members in rural India have made 225.4 million face masks in the last two years; over 7,006 million person days have been generated under MGNREGA; 5.946 million houses have been completed under Awaas Yojana in the last two years.

Women self help group stitched 225.4 million face masks

Under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission, a programme for building capacity and developing institutions of rural poor women by mobilising women in self help groups (SHGs), 76 million women have been mobilised in 6.9 million SHGs.

The scheme is equipping women with know-how to engage in livelihood activities. 

It covers about 11.5 million women farmers. As part of the scheme, SHG women’s response to COVID19 in 645 districts, over 296,000 SHGs members have made 225.4 million face masks, 102,000 litres of hand wash, and 480,000 litres of sanitisers. Over 240 million SHG members were trained on COVID19 appropriate behaviours in the last two years.

All weather roads connectivity in rural India

As part of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, a scheme that offers rural connectivity to the most remote habitations in India with all-weather roads, 6,684 habitations have been provided all weather roads connectivity for the first time in two years.

An all weather road is a road that is constructed in such a way that excessive rain does not cause it to be flooded or sodden to such an extent that vehicles travelling over it are likely to become bogged. In other words, it is trafficable in all weather conditions.

This data shared by the Ministry of Rural Development today June 25, also shows that in two years, 34,500 kilometres of road length was sanctioned and 21,000 km road length was constructed using ‘new and green’ technology.

The scheme has been granted ‘highest’ ever expenditure of Rs 239,120 million in the financial year 2020-21, informed the ministry. It also claimed a 100 km average speed of construction per day in the financial year 2020-21 despite COVID pandemic.

Training rural youth

Meanwhile, over 263,633 candidates have been trained as part of  the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Grameen Kaushalya Yojana, a scheme of the Indian government that is empowering rural youth since 2019 till May this year.

As per the data shared by the Ministry of Rural Development, there is an action plan to skill 3.05 million youth by the end of next five years. It continued to inform that the funds of Rs 29,486.4 million were released to states in the same period for empowering rural youth.

As part of the scheme, the women aspirants are also pursuing on-the-job training in the textile industry in Madhya Pradesh.

Achievements under MGNREGA and Awaas Yojana

Under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 7,006 million person days have been generated in the last two years. Over 25.8 million job cards were issued. Cluster facilitation project initiated in 300 blocks of the country for effective implementation of MGNREGA including 117 aspirational districts.

Under Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awaas Yojana, a scheme to provide housing for the rural poor in India, 5.946 million houses have been built in the last two years. At least 481,210 PMAY-G houses were built in 116 districts under Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyan.