RAGIHALLI, BENGALURU: The villages adopted by two Union Ministers of the Central Government under Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) are a picture of contrast. While well-laid footpaths line the main road in Ragihalli village, adopted by Union Minister Ananth Kumar, open drains mark the roads at Nettigere, that is adopted by another Union Minister, D V Sadananda Gowda.
Both the villages were selected in the first phase of SAGY launched in October 2014 by the Centre for ‘holistic development’ of select villages. Despite the ‘rosy picture’ of Ragihalli, elected representatives of the village dispute that the works were taken up due to the efforts of the minister alone.
Improved amenities
Though the roads leading to the first village adopted by Ananth Kumar, leave a lot to be desired, the road passing through the village itself has been constructed using concrete. The practice of open defecation has been stopped after the construction of toilets in all the houses in gram panchayat limits.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Devaiah from the village said that several projects have been implemented in the village following the scheme. “Earlier, we had to travel to primary health care centres for medicine. After the scheme was implemented, a doctor has been visiting the village on a daily basis, which is really helpful,” he said. Apart from it, the construction of rearing houses for sericulture farmers, cow sheds and various housing schemes have also been implemented in the village.
Gopi KN, an employee of Ragihalli Gram Panchayat said that a bank branch and an ATM machine was also installed due to the scheme, which helped the villagers in its limits. “The benefit of SAGY was, that it ensured the funds set aside under various schemes of Central and state governments reached the people,” he said.