Under the guidance of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, a massive campaign for comprehensive rural development is being carried out by the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India. In this regard, Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare & Rural Development Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, thanked all state governments for their cooperation and acknowledged that more than two crore women have already become ‘Lakhpati Didis’ (earning at least ₹1 lakh annually). He also announced that to accelerate this progress further, a two-day national Chintan Shivir on rural development will be organised in Udaipur (Rajasthan) on September 4 and 5, 2025.

Chairing a meeting today with state rural development ministers via video conferencing from Delhi, Shri Chouhan shared detailed information about the upcoming Chintan Shivir, and said that rural development ministers from all states, senior officials from states, Union Territories, and Central ministries will participate, along with domain experts, organisations from the central region, community representatives, field workers, and beneficiaries. The Shivir will focus on ways to move forward in line with the Prime Minister’s vision of creating a poverty-free rural India and building prosperous and resilient rural communities.

Recalling the Prime Minister’s Independence Day message that “a Government should be visible not in files but in people’s lives”, Shri Chouhan emphasised that it is important to reflect on the gaps in schemes, identify areas for improvement, and strengthen implementation. He said that discussions will also cover ways to increase employment opportunities and chart out a roadmap for rural development for the next five years — all of which will form part of the deliberations in Udaipur.

The Union Minister further highlighted the successful implementation of several schemes by the Ministry of Rural Development, including rapid progress towards the Prime Minister’s target of creating three crore ‘Lakhpati Didis’. “We are close to achieving the goal, with over two crore women already crossing the milestone,” he said. Shri Chouhan also noted significant progress under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana in providing homes for the poor, as well as in other flagship schemes such as MGNREGA, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, and skill development initiatives.

The video conference was also attended by Union Minister of State for Rural Development Dr. Chandrashekhar Pemmasani and  Secretary Shri Shailesh Kumar Singh.

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RC/KSR/AR

(Release ID: 2159428)