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Bhopal, November 24 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Urban Development and Housing Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya on Monday said that for the planned development of the state, special attention should be given to the development of gram panchayats located near urban areas.
The minister said that illegal colonies within gram panchayats often create problems for the public and these should be completely curbed.
He said that the increasing population in urban areas affects not only the cities but also the surrounding gram panchayats.
Vijayvargiya made this statement while addressing a workshop of panchayat representatives and state level officials at Kushabhau Thackeray Convention Center in Bhopal.
He said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has envisioned a developed India by 2047 and this vision can be realized in Madhya Pradesh only when integrated plans are prepared for both rural and urban areas.”
He pointed out that an estimated 32 per cent of the state’s population currently lives in urban areas and this figure is expected to increase to about 50 per cent in the coming years, which will pose additional challenges.
He stressed the need for coordination committee meetings between officials of urban bodies and gram panchayats adjacent to urban areas to ensure planned development.
Vijayvargiya suggested that local urban bodies associated with urban areas should promote development works through public-private partnership model.
He said that Corporate Social Responsibility funds can also be used in this process.
The Minister urged the Panchayat representatives to promote rural and urban forests to ensure clean environment in their areas.
Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Prahlad Patel, while addressing another session of the three-day workshop, encouraged the panchayat representatives to be alert about various schemes of the central and state government.
Patel said the workshop was aimed at strengthening the implementation of the three-tier panchayat system and stressed the need for better coordination between the representatives and officials.
He said the Madhya Pradesh government aims to ensure that every panchayat has a fully equipped cremation ground by December 2026, supported by an allocation of Rs 6,000 crore under the Fifth Finance Commission.
“For panchayats, self-reliance is not just about financial stability, but also about health, sanitation, addiction-free communities, harmonious dispute resolution and the collective will to eliminate social evils,” Patel said.
–IANS
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