Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana for Rural Development

Rural development has been on the national agenda ever since 1947. The nation-builders worked towards a country that undertook the process of economic welfare and hence, ensured the social development of rural areas. It has often been done at the cost of the environment, agriculture, and other forest resources.

Amidst this, the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY) for rural development has been a flag bearer of positive change in the Indian countryside. In addition, the Rajiv Gandhi Vasati Yojana has also left a lasting mark on the rural population.  

Details of the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana

The RGGVY was launched in 2005 and is named after the former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi. The aim of RGGVY is to supply electricity to rural areas of the country. The RGGVY scheme is implemented by the Rural Electrification Corporation. Families who are below the poverty line will receive electricity free of cost under this scheme. There is no discrimination between urban and rural areas with respect to the hours of electricity supply.  

Earlier, the RGGVY scheme focused on the use of electricity for agriculture and irrigation.  However, since this had been done in a piecemeal manner, the results were unreliable.  Therefore, this scheme focuses on the complete transformation of rural electricity resources and infrastructure. Now, the aim is to aid in the process of modern and adequate health care, formal education and the execution of tasks related to information technologies. This  is aimed at rural development at a rapid rate, generation of employment, and poverty  alleviation.  

Reach of RGGVY 

According to reports in the year 2015, there were 910 villages yet to receive electricity. During  the eleventh Five Year plan, around 93.3% households were electrified in sample states. In a country as diverse as India, this is a remarkable achievement. Contrary to commonly held views, it was found that regardless of economic and social challenges, 89% of the bills that were received regularly were paid immediately.

In states like Bihar and Jharkhand, where the bills were not paid regularly, the reason was common. It was due to the fact that bills of three to four months were sent together, which resulted in the rural population being unable to pay the high amount.  

Positive Impact of RGGVY

Despite these few shortcomings, RGGVY has played a pivotal role in establishing the electricity infrastructure in India. Electrification has also led to an increase in awareness due to the penetration of information technology and broadcast channels. Entertainment has  also been redefined due to the RGGVY scheme.

Students can now study during the evening and at night, which helps the education system be more productive and leads to the formation of an even platform of competition between the rural and the urban population.

Women have also benefited since they spend less time carrying out manual household chores and can invest more time towards self-growth; RGGVY has thus led to gender positivity. Lastly, with a boost in electricity, the RGGVY scheme has also helped increase employment, since there are multiple activities that boost labour intensive enterprises. Hence, with growth in employment there is a positive growth in income.  

Therefore, RGGVY has been a success and boosted the rural economy in multiple ways.  Further improvements and research can lead to more resourceful and enlightening results  for rural India.  

Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana in Uttar Pradesh

In Uttar Pradesh, a few schools were found to have electricity through the RGGVY scheme. The Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana UP has encountered difficulties with electricity being made available for general use in the form of street lights, but schools have been benefiting, at a slower pace.

The challenges with the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana UP do not relate to the availability of adequate infrastructure, but are about the inability to pay bills. Institutions are not developed enough to possess funds for the payment of bills. Hence, despite having the RGGVY, many areas lack electricity. 

Schools, however, have taken certain initiatives to receive electricity, such as paying bills using school funds. Thus, RGGVY is gaining success in many states.

Rajiv Gandhi Vasati Yojana Benefits

Food, clothing, and shelter are deemed to be the most basic needs for survival of any human being. However, in India, shelter is a distant dream for many. The economic challenges and complications, in terms of loans and other concerns, make it difficult for an individual to own property. Hence, schemes like Rajiv Gandhi Vasati Yojana benefit millions of people. Its primary objective is to ensure that affordable housing is convenient for sections of society that are economically weaker.

Furthermore, it also aims to launch cost-effective methods to build houses and also makes sure that all dealings regarding housing are transparent, to prevent corruption. The benefits of Rajiv Gandhi Vasati Yojana include the provision of 85% of construction material to be for the economically weaker sections of Karnataka. Moreover, the Rajiv Gandhi Vasati Yojana benefits are multifold and is one of the main schemes launched by the Rajiv Gandhi Housing Board.  

Other schemes under Rajiv Gandhi Vasati Yojana:

• Ashraya Housing Scheme 
• Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Niwas Yojana 
• Devraj URS Housing Scheme 

These schemes vary in terms of benefits and other objectives, but the common aim is to ensure affordable housing for all. The Rajiv Gandhi Vasati Yojana scheme benefits many people, who have fulfilled their aspiration to build their own houses because of the provisions in this scheme.  

Conclusion

The Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana was the starting point in the effort to provide electricity to rural areas. The Rajiv Gandhi Vasati Yojana was also a major step to introduce affordable housing for many economically and socially weaker sections of Indian society. Schemes such as Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana and Rajiv Gandhi Vasati Yojana have taken great strides to develop rural India.