Daily exercise to be must in SAGY's model villages

Mandatory physical exercise every day will be a must for people living in villages which will be selected for implementing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet MP model village scheme.
Men, women, and children will be given the option to choose any of the exercises they like from gym, yoga, walking, jogging or any other sports options under Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY), which was launched by Modi here yesterday.
Health volunteers will guide and follow up personally to ensure effective implementation of the physical exercise programme, which is one of the key components of the scheme targeting all sections.
According to government officials, people can participate in the exercise programme individually or in groups.

SAGY is being implemented converging resources from central sector and centrally sponsored schemes, and also several state schemes.
Funds will be generated from convergence of MPLADS, Nehru Yuvak Kendra Sangathan, MGNREGA and state government sports schemes for the purpose of setting up of playgrounds and parks, identification and provision of opportunities for physical exercise, and facilitating daily exercise regimen.

Government feels that inculcating the habit of regular physical exercise will help prevent illness and ensure increased well-being of the village people.
The scheme also focuses on improving personal hygiene, consisting of daily cleaning of teeth, use of sanitary toilets, daily bath, washing hands after toilet and before eating, wearing clean clothes and personal menstrual hygiene of adolescent girls and women.

The other features of the scheme include reducing risk behaviour like alcoholism, smoking, drug abuse; ensuring universal access to basic health and education facilities up to Class X; sustainable agriculture and organic farming and universal coverage of insurance schemes.
With an intent of developing rural India, the Prime Minister launched SAGY under which he asked each of around 800 MPs to develop physical and institutional infrastructure of three villages by 2019.
Modi said it is envisaged that under the leadership and through the efforts of the MPs, one village would be developed by each lawmaker by 2016.
On the basis of the model created by this experience, it is envisaged that two more villages would be developed by each MP by 2019 and that one village will be developed every year, he said while launching the programme.