JAYAPUR (UP):As you drive from the famous wheat and vegetable market of Raja Talab in Varanasi towards the neighbouring district of Mirzapur, a beeline of billboards of soft drinks, banks and different brands of fertilizers welcome you. Nestled in lush green mango orchards is a serpentine road that leads to Jayapur, a village swarming with journalists, politicians and bureaucrats.
This village adopted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi under Adarsh Gram Yojana has witnessed a complete transformation in the last six-months. From being a non-descript village under Jakhini Post office, Jayapur with over 600 families now has a post office with its own Pin Code and three leading banks have opened branches in the village.
Barsati Lal, a family member of the village head, told Express that earlier it was difficult for an outsider to reach Jayapur, unless he or she knew that it bordered neighbouring villages of Jakhini or Marui.
“But, now Jayapur is so famous that people say Jakhini is close to Jayapur. For you it may not mean much, but for people like us who suffered from this identity crisis, it is a big achievement. Not just the development, but this village has also got its own identity,” Lal said.
Besides solar street lights, ponds and bio-toilets, one can spot a number of construction activities in the village. From solar plants for each household to a new road with interlocking tiles, the changes have triggered competition among neighbouring villages to undertake similar development projects. “Now we can walk in any government office and introduce ourselves as resident of ‘Modi ka Gaon’ (Modi’s Village). The officials not only give us respect, but they make sure that our grievances are addressed within stipulated time,” a youth from the village said.
One can also spot the difference between toilets in Jayapur and neighbouring village Marui. Jayapur’s customised toilets are brought from Gujarat, said a villager. He said all the development activities are being constantly monitored by C R Patil, an MP from Navsari in Gujarat. All three Safai Karamchari’s are at work to ensure that Prime Minister’s Swachh Mission is a success in his adopted village.
However, Modi’s village was recently hit by unseasonal rains and hailstorms, and is yet to receive compensation for crop losses.
Lal, referring to a file, said they recently received a list of 636 affected families and formalities like bank account numbers of beneficiaries are being collected.
He also raised concerns over procurement of wheat and rice saying that the local procurement office is almost non-functional. “We never dreamed of this kind of development. My only wish is streamlining of procurement process and construction of factories, so that the youth of our village can get jobs,” Lal added.