Village Panchayats Must Gear Up for CM’s Prosperous Village Contest – Rural Development Minister Jaykumar Gore

Launch of ‘Nirmal Dindi’ and Award Ceremony for Clean Village Campaigns in Pune

Pune : Maharashtra’s Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Jaykumar Gore, called on village panchayats to actively participate in the upcoming Chief Minister’s Prosperous Village Competition and contribute to building a clean, beautiful, and plastic-free Maharashtra. Speaking at the launch of the Nirmal Dindi initiative at the Divisional Commissioner’s office in Pune, Minister Gore emphasised the importance of the Maha Awas Yojana and Sant Gadgebaba Village Cleanliness Campaign in driving rural development.

He urged panchayats to strengthen their involvement in government initiatives and be ready for the CM’s village competition. Gore also flagged off several initiatives including Sant Tukdoji Maharaj Clean Village Competition and distributed awards under the Maha Awas Yojana for 2023–24.

Gore highlighted the meticulous arrangements made for the Ashadhi Wari pilgrimage, announcing the deployment of 3,000 volunteers in Pandharpur for a large-scale cleanliness drive on June 22. He said, “Every devotee is a VIP, so special darshan privileges have been suspended till Ashadhi Ekadashi. The temple premises have been made vehicle-free. Facilities like mobile clinics, raincoats, medical kits, bathing facilities for women, alternate routes, and even massage services for elderly devotees are being provided.”

He added that under the Central Government’s “Housing for All” scheme, 30 lakh houses have been approved, with ₹65,000 crore sanctioned, and 50% of the homes expected to be completed within a year.

Divisional Commissioner Dr. Chandrakant Pulkundwar praised the three-tier Panchayati Raj system and said that villages must aim to be self-reliant, as envisioned by the nation’s founders. He also emphasized public hygiene, the importance of yoga for health, and the need for river conservation and tree plantation. He urged pilgrims to avoid plastic during the Wari.

During the ceremony, awards were presented to the best-performing villages and talukas in cleanliness and housing schemes. Notable winners included:

• Best Clean Villages 2022–23:
  1st – Shelkewadi (Kolhapur), 2nd – Borgav (Sangli), 3rd – Kavthe (Satara)
• Special Awards:
  Vasantrao Naik Award – Darewadi (Satara),
  Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Award – Sandgewadi (Sangli),
  Abasaheb Khedkar Award – Goyegaon (Solapur)
• District-Level Clean Village Awards 2023–24:
  1st – Gavdevwadi (₹6 lakh),
  2nd – Manjari Khurd (₹4 lakh),
  3rd – Sadobachi Wadi (₹3 lakh)
• Additional Special Awards:
  Vasantrao Naik – Chincholi (Junnar),
  Ambedkar – Takwe Khurd (Maval),
  Khedkar – Manjarwadi (Junnar)

Minister Gore also unveiled the Swachh Survekshan logo, Palkhi Sohala info booklet, and mobile apps for Wari and toilet services. He flagged off the “Nirmal Dindi” parade, mobile health vans, folk art teams, and public outreach raths. Village development officers, project officers, sarpanchs, and gram sevaks from award-winning villages attended the event.