Union Minister of State for Rural Development, Dr. Pemmasani Chandrasekhar, on Monday, July 14, 2025, called for building a “Viksit Gaon” as a foundational step towards achieving a “Viksit Bharat” by 2047. Speaking at the first meeting of the Performance Review Committee of the Rural Development Ministry in New Delhi, Minister said that the vision of every rural family living in a pucca house, every village connected by quality roads, employment opportunities for all youth, and empowered, financially independent women is not a distant dream, but an achievable goal — one that requires renewed energy, innovation, and unwavering commitment.
Dr. Chandrasekhar said the Ministry is not merely implementing schemes, but playing a central role in shaping the next phase of India’s growth story. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Cabinet Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, rural India has witnessed major progress across sectors, he said.
He highlighted the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) as a lifeline during agricultural lean periods, helping curb rural unemployment and distress migration. The scheme has created over 250 crore person-days annually, with more than 36 crore job cards issued and 15 crore active workers. The Minister advocated for a shift from just wage payments to more meaningful asset creation and convergence with other development programmes, supported by community participation in selecting projects.
On housing, Dr. Chandrasekhar said over 3.22 crore pucca houses have been built under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana–Gramin (PMAY-G), with a fresh target of 2 crore homes by 2029 to address growing rural demand. He called for the adoption of eco-friendly, region-specific construction methods to make housing more sustainable and cost-effectiv
Talking about infrastructure, Minister said that over 7.56 lakh kilometres of rural roads have been built under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) so far. He recommended the creation of state-level maintenance funds, innovative financing models, and community-based monitoring for long-term sustainability.
The Minister also lauded the impact of DAY-NRLM, which has mobilized over 10 crore women into 91 lakh Self Help Groups. Under the ‘Lakhpati Didi’ initiative, 1.5 crore women are already earning over Rs 1 lakh annually, halfway to the government’s goal of 3 crore. He also shared that the DDU-GKY programme has trained over 17 lakh youth and placed more than 11 lakh in gainful employment.
Senior officials from the Centre and state governments, including Union MoS Kamlesh Paswan and Rural Development Secretary Shailesh Kumar Singh, were present at the review meeting.
