PM Modi Launches Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra Honoring Birsa Munda on Janjatiya Gaurav Divas

New Delhi, 15th November: On the occasion of the Janjatiya Gaurav Divas, marking the birth anniversary of tribal icon Birsa Munda, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra from Khunti, Jharkhand. 5 specially designed IEC (Information, Education and Communication) Vans carrying messages of Government’s flagship welfare programmes moved to various Gram Panchayats with significant tribal population located in Khunti district and nearby areas.

Similar IEC vans were flagged off by important dignitaries like Governors, Chief Ministers, Union Ministers, Ministers of State from 68 districts across the country with significant tribal population.

In Jammu & Kashmir the Sankalp Yatra was flagged off from Budhal and Gurez areas of Rajouri and Bandipora districts respectively. Braving cold winds at 8,000 feet above mean sea level, locals, youth, Panchayat Raj institutions and government officials attended the launch function. Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha participated in the event via video conferencing.

Governor of Arunachal Pradesh Lt Gen K T Patnaik (Retd) flagged off the IEC vans at Ziro in Lower Subansiri district. The beneficiaries of PM SVANidhi, PM Awas Yojana attended the ceremonial launch function. The IEC vans will travel in Lower Subansiri, Tawang and East Kameng districts spreading public awareness about government’s welfare schemes at the grass root level. In Nagaland, the campaign was launched at Indisen village of Dimapur district. In adjoining Assam the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra was launched at Baksa, Kokrajhar and Karbi Anglong.

The Governor of Maharashtra Shri Ramesh Bains and Chief Minister Shri Eknath Shinde attended the launch event in the tribal district of Nandurbar. Union Minister Shri Purshottam Rupala attended the event in Dahod, Gujarat while the state Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel flagged off the vans at Ambaji. Union Minister Bishweshwar Tudu flagged off the Viksit Bharat campaign vans from the Mayurbhanj district of Odisha.

In Andhra Pradesh the Yatra was flagged off by Governor S Abdul Nazeer from Alluri Seetaram Raju district. while in Tamilnadu Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting, Animal Husbandry & Fisheries Dr L Murugan launched the campaign in the Nilgiri district. Kerala Governor Shri Arif Mohammed Khan launched the campaign at Attapadi in Palakkad district. The campaign was also launched at the Karavatti island of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep.

Themes covered

The focus of the Yatra will be on reaching out to people and create awareness and providing benefits of welfare schemes like sanitation facilities, essential financial services, electricity connections, access to LPG cylinders, housing for the poor, food security, proper nutrition, reliable healthcare, clean drinking water, etc.

The schemes being publicized include Ayushman Bharat ; PMJAY PM Garlb Kalyan Anna Yojana; Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission ; PM Awas Yojana (Rural); PM Ujjwala Yojana ;PM Vishwakarma; PM Kisan Saman ;Kisan Credit Card (KCC); PM Poshan Abhiyan; Har Ghar Jal – Jal Jeevan Mission; Survey of villages and mapping with improvised technology in village areas (SVAMITVA); Jan Dhan Yojana; Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana; Suraksha Bima Yojana; Atal Pension Yojana; PM PRANAM; Nano Fertilizer etc.

Specific concerns of Tribal areas such as Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission; Enrolment in Eklavya Model Residential Schools; Scholarship Schemes ; Forest Right Titles: Individual and Community Land ; Van Dhan Vikas Kendra: Organising Self Help Groups are also being addressed.

The IEC Vans have been branded and customized to enable dissemination of information through audio visuals, brochures, pamphlets, booklets and flagship standees in Hindi and state languages showcasing the major schemes, highlights and their achievements at national, state and district level.

Various Jan Bhagidari events like experience sharing by beneficiaries of the schemes, interaction with progressive farmers, celebration of achievements of Gram Panchayats achieving 100% saturation of schemes like Ayushman Card, Jal Jeevan Mission, Jan Dhan Yojana, PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, ODF Plus status, on the spot quiz competitions, Drone demonstration, health camps, Mera Yuva Bharat volunteer enrolment etc. would form part of the ground activities.

The Viksit Bharat Campaign, one of the largest ever outreach initiative to be undertaken, eventually aims to cover over 2.55 lakh Gram Panchayats and over 3,600 urban local bodies by 25^th January 2024 touching every district of the country.

The entire campaign is being planned and implemented with `whole of Government’ approach with active participation and involvement of the State Governments, District authorities, Urban Local Bodies and Gram Panchayats.