Union Cabinet of India approved the Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission (SPMRM) with an outlay of 5142.08 crore rupees.
It is a bid to transform rural areas to economically, socially and physically sustainable spaces. The mission aims to create 300 Rurban growth clusters over the next 3 years, across the country.
What is ‘Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission’?
- The mission aims to develop ‘Rurban growth clusters’, which will have latent potential for growth, in all States and UTs to trigger overall development in the region. These clusters are essentially Smart Villages.
- Rural growth clusters would be developed by provisioning of economic activities, developing skills & local entrepreneurship and providing infrastructure amenities.
- Further, these clusters would be well delineated areas with planned layouts, which would be duly notified by the State/UTs. These plans would be finally integrated with the District Plans/Master Plans as the case may be.
- The States would prepare Integrated Cluster Action Plans for Rurban Clusters in accordance with the Framework for Implementation prepared by the Union Ministry of Rural Development.
- The clusters will be geographically contiguous to Gram Panchayats with a population of about 25000 to 50000 in plain and coastal areas and a population of 5000 to 15000 in desert, hilly or tribal areas.
- There would be a separate approach for selection of clusters in Tribal and Non-Tribal Districts.
