Premchand's birthplace to be first smart village

As a part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to develop smart cities in India, the village of renowned writer Munshi Premchand, which comes under Prime Minister Modi's constituency of Varanasi, is set to develop as the first smart village.

Lamhi village in Varanasi will be equipped with all facilities and villagers will no longer have to visit other districts or cities for any administrative-related work. Data of each household will collected and services would be just one step away.

District Magistrate Pranjal Yadav said that everything would be computerised and any application would be filled in the village itself.

"E-village is such a scheme under which we will first accumulate all the data from the villagers. We will then computerise the data. There will be an office in the village also where the villagers can avail various facilities. If the villager needs a certificate then he can apply in the village itself. He does not need to go anywhere for the documents," said Yadav.

The data will be collected based on 36 points, including land, personal, income and others. A unique account number will be generated, which will be given to the villagers.

"I am very happy that Lamhi village, which is under Varanasi, has been chosen to be turned into an E-village. Earlier we had to run from pillar to post, visit courts, local government offices and use sources to get our work done. Everyone in the village is happy to have this facility," said Suresh Dubey, a villager.

On providing the unique account number, all the data of the person will be available. This will help villagers to avail facilities in their area.

Prime Minister Modi, elected in May to represent the 3,000-year-old riverside city of Varanasi, has taken personal responsibility to upgrade the holy city. He came into power through his campaign promises to boost economic development in the world's largest democracy.