Raphael Warjri

The Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 15 from Khunti, Jharkhand, has emerged as a transformative expedition fostering connections with citizens nationwide. 

As of December 7, 2023, the Yatra has reached over 36,000 Gram Panchayats and witnessed participation of over 1 crore citizens, as per the data captured on the customized portal developed by MEITY.   India’s most populous state Uttar Pradesh leads with over 37 lakh people participating, followed by Maharashtra 12.07 lakhs and Gujarat 11.58 lakhs.  The Yatra has received encouraging reception in Meghalaya as well, with over 38 thousand people participating till date covering 464 Gram Panchayats. 

The people’s participation has gathered further momentum with each passing day. While the first week of the Sankalp Yatra saw participation of 500,000 citizens, over 77 lakh people across the country participated in the Yatra during the last 10 days.  Within a short span, the urban segment of the Yatra has reached over 700 locations and a total of 79 lakh individuals have taken the Pledge to strive to make India a developed nation by 2047.

In an unprecedented outreach effort, the Yatra strives to cover over 2.60 Gram Panchayats and 3600+ urban local bodies using Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) vans that call upon people to utilise government schemes for their benefit. 

A focal point of the Yatra  has been raising awareness about women-centric schemes, leading to over 46,000 beneficiaries enrolling for the PM Ujjwala scheme.  Health Camps have also proved to be a big draw and till date 22 lakh individuals have been screened. 

Drone demonstration for farmers showcased as part of the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra has attracted great curiosity.  With the launch of ‘Drone Didi Scheme’ under which 15,000 Women’s Self Help Groups will be provided with Drones, along with necessary training for two members of the women, a large number of women are also coming forward to witness the drone flights. The SHGs shall rent out the drone services for a fee, which will serve as another stream of revenue for the Self Help Group members. 

The Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra is being meticulously organised in the state to achieve widespread coverage of the Government Schemes. It also provides benefits to all the eligible beneficiaries of central schemes and makes the common people aware of the development achieved in the country through innovative schemes. 

Spreading awareness on various central Government schemes Shella- Bholaganj C & RD Block today organised a program at Laitkynsew Village in which Member National Commission for Women, New Delhi  Smt Delina Khongdup was also present.

Addressing the gathering Smt Khongdup said that the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the benefit of the people of the Rural areas, In the last 9 years the Central Government has been working hard to see that all the schemes meant for the needy reach the deserving people. Smt Khongduh also exhorted everyone to take care of the environment and their surroundings. She further said, “It’s the duty of us all to respect the environment, it's not that we respect and plant trees only on the environment day but we should plant trees and try to avoid using plastic. If we want to see changes in our place in the country it should begin with me”.

Smt Khongdup expressed her gratitude to all those who have worked hard and advised them to continue working hard to uplift the living of the people in the village, the state, and the country.

Various ‘Jan Bhagidari’ events like sharing of experiences by beneficiaries of the central schemes under Mere Kahani Meri Zubani, achieving 100 percent saturation of schemes like Ayushman Bharat, Jal Jeevan Mission, Jan Dhan Yojana, PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, ODF Plus status, health camps among others were major attractions at the event. Villagers came forward to share their experiences after availing of the government schemes.

An SHG Member Smt Bethel Warjri expressed her gratitude to the government for the assistance she has received as a member of the SHG. She said that since the time that they formed the group their lives were different. She also said from the Rs 10 that they had collected in the beginning, they are now in a position to give loans to their members with the schemes that they had received from the Government through NRLM. She also mentioned that through NRLM the group has received Rs 15,000 and they are presently running the group with this money.

Kong Theodora Wanjee, another SHG Member, also shared that their SHG group has received a lot of benefits, When they formed the group they faced many difficulties but with the coming of NRLM they have gained a lot and their life has eased. She also said they have received lot of benefits from the Central Government through various schemes 

Kong Alda Marry Badwar, a dairy farmer said the Government through the Veterinary department has supported them. At present their family, through the Dairy are supplying milk in the village and in the adjacent villages too. She also informed that she has received many schemes and expressed their thankfulness to the government for supporting her in her journey.