'Replicate Chinese, S Korean model to develop Indian villages'

The 'cluster village development' model being followed by China and South Korea by promoting micro and small enterprises can be implemented in India to improve the livelihood of the local populace, additional secretary, Union Ministry of Rural Development Alka Upadhyaya said on Friday. Upadhyaya said this while speaking on Skilling for Development of Gram Panchayats during the celebrations of the 61st Foundation Day of the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR) here.

"China and South Korea are following the cluster village development model by promoting micro and small enterprises, thereby improving the livelihoods of the local populace. India can also implement this model for sustainable economic development of gram panchayats, she said. The main topic for the 61st Foundation Day celebrations is achieving economic development through gram panchayats.

There are about 2.50 lakh panchayats in the country. In Kerala, majority of the them is ISO-certified because they follow the best practices with regard to funds, functions and functionaries, a press release from NIRDPR quoted its director general W R Reddy as saying.

If women sarpanches were assisted and mentored, wonderful things can be achieved in the rural landscape, he said. NIRDPR and many other voluntary and corporate agencies are working on innovative development models to help gram panchayats in solving their problems, he said.

Around 140 elected women representatives from across the country took part in the celebrations. The NIRDPR, an autonomous organisation under the Union Ministry of Rural Development, is a premier National Centre of Excellence..

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