Minister for Rural Development, Abdul Haq Khan Saturday said the government is contemplating to develop a group of habitations as clusters in rural areas by provisioning of economic, social and physical infrastructure facilities.
He said the rural areas in the state are not stand-alone settlements but part of cluster of habitations which are closely linked to each other and the government will take a group of such habitations as a cluster and develop these clusters on the pattern of model village with all modern facilities with an aim to reduce the rural-urban divide.
The minister said this while laying foundation stone of first Rurban Model village in Khumriyal area of Kupwara district, an official handout said.
Revealing the developmental plan for the Khumriyal cluster including Khumriyal,-Cheroot-Gundjahangir villages and its adjoining areas, the minister said about Rs 60.62 crores will be spend to develop the cluster in such a way that it will preserve and nurture the essence of rural community life with focus on equity and inclusiveness without compromising with the facilities perceived to be essentially urban in nature, thus creating a cluster of “Rurban Villages”.
Giving details, the minister said that in the first phase, Rs 35 crore are being spent in three villages to avail the basic facilities within the development activities under the scheme. The minister said the objective of the National Rurban Mission (NRuM) is to stimulate local economic development, enhance basic services, and create well planned Rurban clusters.
Addressing an impressive gathering after laying the foundation, the minister said the present government headed by the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti is striving its best to provide all facilities to the rural areas in shape of developing the existing villages as Cluster Model Villages so that all the basic facilities be made available to the people in these villages.