PM Modi's model village scheme not achieving desired purpose: Audit report

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheme for development of villages has not made any perceptible impact or achieving its desired purpose and, therefore, it should be reviewed, a performance audit by the Rural Development Ministry has suggested.

The Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) was announced by Modi in his first Independence Day speech as prime minister on August 15, 2014. As per the scheme, every MP has to adopt a village and develop it into a model village under the scheme, which was launched on October 11, 2014, in its five phases.

Many MPs, including some ministers, have not adopted villages in either one or more phases so far, according to sources.

The Centre had constituted a common review commission (CRM) for performance audit to evaluate the proper implementation and effectiveness of various welfare schemes under the Rural Development Ministry. In its report, the CRM said there was no dedicated funding for the SAGY and funds had to be arranged through convergence. Its teams visited the states and did not find any "significant impact" of this scheme.

Even in villages adopted by MPs under this scheme, they did not allocate enough funds from the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS), the CRM said.

"In isolated cases, where MPs have been pro-active, some infrastructure development has taken place, but the scheme has not made any perceptible impact," the CRM said in its report.

As such, these villages cannot be called model villages, the CRM said, suggesting for review of the scheme.

"The CRM is of the opinion that in current format the scheme is not achieving the desired purpose. It is recommended that the ministry may review the scheme for enhancing its impact," it said.

The 31-member CRM team, led by retired IAS officer Rajeev Kapoor, and comprises of academicians and research organisations as members. It visited 120 villages in 21 districts across eight states in November. The commission reviewed all welfare schemes under the Rural Development Ministry and gave suggestions for better implementation.