Union Rural Development Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan met with Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Shri Pawan Kalyan
Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Shri Pawan Kalyan today met Union Minister of Rural Development, and Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan at Krishi Bhavan in New Delhi and held detailed discussions on the progress of rural development programmes, employment generation, livelihood enhancement, panchayat development and implementation of various central schemes in the state. The meeting focused on reviewing the current status and future plans for effective execution of these important initiatives.
During the meeting, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced that the national launch of ‘Viksit Bharat – Rozgar aur Aajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB – G RAM G)’ will take place from Andhra Pradesh on July 1, 2026. He informed that Rural Development Ministers from all states and Union Territories of the country will join the programme through video conferencing from various field locations across their respective states.
Shri Chouhan said that during the programme, participants will be informed about the Gram Panchayat Development Plan and will also be made aware of the works of model panchayats and zero-waste gram panchayats developed by Andhra Pradesh. The state will present its best models and innovations in the areas of rural administration, sustainable development and community participation so that other states can learn from these successful experiences.
Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan praised the development journey of Andhra Pradesh and said that it is one of the most progressive states in the country and is known for taking development-related decisions quickly. He said that the state should do more innovation in the field of rural development so that other states can also take inspiration from it. He also said that the successful models and innovations developed by Andhra Pradesh will be shared with other states of the country so that best practices in rural development can be widely disseminated and adopted across India.
During the meeting, Shri Pawan Kalyan, while giving information about the progress of rural development works and schemes in the state, said that all works being carried out under rural development schemes have been geo-tagged to ensure transparency and eliminate any possibility of corruption. He said that the work of a face recognition-based system for beneficiary verification has also been almost completed. He informed that the construction of rural roads and houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) is progressing rapidly in the state. He also gave information that drinking water facilities for livestock have been provided in every panchayat of the state, which is benefiting rural livestock rearers and improving their livelihood conditions.
Shri Pawan Kalyan expressed gratitude to the Central Government and the Ministry of Rural Development for providing a record interim amount of more than Rs. 7,700 crore to Andhra Pradesh under the VB – G RAM G initiative. This significant support will help accelerate various rural development activities in the state.
