PM Modi to launch ‘Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra’ on November 15

The “Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra”, which is aimed at ensuring the implementation of the Centre’s welfare schemes in rural India, will be launched on November 15 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of Birsa Munda Jayanti, informed Apurva Chandra, the Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Apurva Chandra said that more than 2,500 education and communication (IEC) vans, will cover 2.5 lakh gram panchayats and 3,700 urban local bodies in over 14,000 locations. This is the largest communication outreach ever launched by the government.

The yatra will begin in tribal areas and continue for two months. The yatra is aimed at reaching out to every nook and corner of the country to showcase the benefits of the central government’s schemes through personal stories, nukad nataks, quiz. The yatra is also aimed at reaching out to those who have not benefited from centrally run schemes for some reason, like sanitation facilities, electricity connections, LPG cylinders, healthcare, clean drinking water and others.

More than 2700 IEC (information, education and communication) vehicles will be deployed to showcase the benefits of government schemes. The IEC vans to be used for Sankalp Yatra are well equipped with Wi-Fi and all modern multi-communication tools. There will also be a facility for live chats in these vans. He further said that Prime Minister Modi is also likely to be answering some questions raised by the people. IEC vehicles will disseminate information through visuals, brochures, pamphlets, booklets and flagship standees in Hindi and regional languages. “A nodal officer from the Central government will be deployed with IEC vans covering gram panchayats and urban areas and the officer will coordinate with state and district counterparts,” he said. Chandra also said that the Centre will soon be writing to state governments for participation in the Sankalp Yatra. Twenty central government schemes, including Kisan credit card, Har Ghar Jal mission, PM Awaas Yojana, and Ujwala Yojna, will be highlighted.

As part of the ‘Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra’, which will be launched after Diwali, specially customised vehicles or ‘raths’, will roll out to the length and breadth of the country, reaching the targeted beneficiaries of central schemes and ensuring that they are being implemented properly. Apurva Chandra further said that the objective of the ‘Viksit Bharat Sankalp’ yatra is to reach out to the last person. He also said that the yatra will start in the poll-bound states–Telangana, Rajasthan, Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh–once the elections are concluded. “There is no plan to start the ‘Viksit Bharat Sankalp’ yatra in poll-bound states where the model code of conduct is in place; the yatra will start in these states once elections are concluded,” the Information and Broadcasting Secretary said.