While selecting villages for infrastructure development under Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Samagra Gram Vikas Yojana,ministers in charge of the districts will now have to consult all the MLAs and MLCs . Following Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadavs directive to Samagra Gram Vikas Vibhag (SGVV) to change the process after several opposition MLAs alleged bias in the selection of Lohia villages for development,SGVV Secretary Bhuvnesh Kumar issued the order to all the divisional commissioners and district magistrates,and said the order would be applicable for 2014-15 and thereafter. For 2012-13,1,600 Lohia villages for development have already been selected,while 2,100 villages have been selected for 2013-14 as per the existing system. Sources said that the order to consult was a result of opposition MLAs' allegations that the ministers were selecting Lohia villages only in the constituencies of the Samajwadi Party MLAs. Akhilesh Yadav had assured in 2012 that opinions of all MLAs would be considered. But the assurance remained unfulfilled, an official said. Originally,the district administrations were supposed to select 10,000 villages across the state based on a composite index of backwardness and population. Later,district magistrates were asked to select villages in their districts equal to three times the target number of villages set by the government and provide the list to ministers in charge of the districts to finalise the list of villages. Under the scheme,approach roads,electrification,drains,toilets,houses for poor,clean drinking water,schools,health sub-centres,street lights,and pension schemes will be provided on priority in the selected villages.
