Model Gaon Project key To Rural Development, Making Developed Nation, Says UP Govt Official

Asserting that India cannot become a developed nation by 2047 without developing villages, Uttar Pradesh government official Heera Lal on Friday emphasised the importance of village development and women's empowerment in line with an initiative called 'Model Gaon' project.

The project, inspired by successful experiments conducted in Banda district, Uttar Pradesh, focuses on three key aspects: defining development through a 'village manifesto', identifying local change-makers, and transforming agriculture into a profitable business.

"Without developing the villages, it is not possible to become a developed nation," Lal, Special Secretary in the irrigation department in Uttar Pradesh government, told PTI in an exclusive interview.

"To see India as a developed nation, we have to develop our villages. India lives in villages. Not only that, even within cities, their roots are still in villages."

There are more than 6.5 lakh villages in the country.

The 'Model Gaon' project, a non-profit initiative which he mentor, originated during the official's 18-month tenure as district magistrate in Banda, from August 2018 to February 2020. During this period, several innovative initiatives were implemented, leading to significant improvements in water conservation, agriculture, and overall development.

One of the most notable achievements was raising the water table by 1.34 metres.

"Banda is in the Bundelkhand region and is a water-stressed district. With public participation, we raised the water table by one metre and 34 centimeters. As a result, crop productivity increased," the official explained.

The success in Banda led to the formulation of the 'Model Gaon' concept in 2022, which is now being proposed as a blueprint for rural development across India. The project is built on three fundamental pillars: village manifesto, local change makers and agri-business transformation.

The village manifesto involves clearly defining what development means for each village. "Mostly, people do not know the definition of development," the official stated. "If they know, it is either incomplete or they are not knowing at all." The village manifesto aims to provide a clear, locally relevant definition of development goals.

Local change makers: the project seeks to identify and empower individuals within each village, who have the potential to drive positive change.

"In every place, we do have good people. So we try to convert them into change makers to drive village development," the official explained.

A key focus of the project is to convert traditional agriculture into a profitable business venture. This is primarily achieved through the formation of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs).

"We try to form an FPO by the people, for the people, so that they should set up the FPO and convert agriculture into agri-business," the official said.

The 'Model Gaon' project aims to effectively implement government schemes at the grassroots level and address climate change in villages through a three-pronged approach: plastic-free living, water conservation, and tree plantation.

"If all villages do these three things, more than 50 per cent of climate issues will be addressed," the official asserted.

He further explained that these measures support both the creation of more resilient rural communities and global climate action.

Speaking about the critical role of women in rural development, the official said, "Women are the CEOs of their household business, but they are not recognized."

In order to integrate women into society, he called for mindset changes and policy reforms.

"We have to bring women into the mainstream. Then and only then can we achieve becoming a developed nation," the official added.

He also highlighted ongoing policy changes favouring women, including land transfer rights and reduced stamp duty for female landowners, while acknowledging that achieving full equality will take time.

"Certainly, it will not happen overnight. But already, many things have happened, and many things are in the pipeline," he stated.

The 'Model Gaon' project aims to work in tandem with existing government schemes and policies. "We are supplementing the efforts of the government policies and government schemes. It is not separate. It is a collaborative approach," the official clarified.

He further said that one of the project's objectives is to ensure that government schemes meant for villages actually reach their intended beneficiaries. "In Model Gaon, it is our effort to ensure the schemes meant for the village reach the villages and benefit them," he stated.

As India aims for developed nation status by 2047, initiatives like 'Model Gaon' underscore the importance of rural development and gender equality in the country's growth strategy.