Prime minister Narendra Modi has launched the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana on the birthday of Jayaprakash Narayan, easily the tallest figure in non-Congress politics since Independence. This follows the launch of the Clean India mission on Gandhi Jayanti and the Make in India campaign on Deendayal Upadhyaya’s birthday. Recently, he invoked the name of Lal Bahadur Shastri by remembering his “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan” slogan. In all this, there is a conscious effort to use the names of non-Congress national icons for national development. Though his intent may be political but he uses them for non-political ends, the Sansad Adarsh Yojana being a case in point.
Whatever might have prompted then prime minister P V Narasimha Rao to launch the Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS), it has come to stay. No political leader can afford to end it and antagonise the MPs and MLAs, who have their own similar schemes. There have also been reports that some MPs have failed to use the MPLADS funds to sponsor development schemes in their constituencies. It was against this backdrop that Modi thought of this yojana to give the MPLADS a new direction. The MPs of both Houses of Parliament will now be under pressure to use the money for a definite, quantifiable purpose. The MLAs will also be called upon to use the funds for similar purposes.
Every MP has to choose one village in his constituency to develop it into a model one. Sooner than later, there will be clarity on what constitutes a model village. Logically, it should have all the facilities that are a must to lead a decent life like a school, potable water, irrigation and medical facilities, common area for recreation, telecommunication facilities, etc. By the time they complete their five-year term, they would have established at least three model villages in their constituencies. They will act as an impetus for all-round development in the districts. Hereafter, every MP, whatever be his political hue, will have to prove his credentials as a grassroots agent of change.