Incentivising rural development: How Haryana’s Rainbow scheme is transforming its villages

Chhattan is among the 20 villages (gram panchayats or GPs) of Haryana that have been rated “6-star” for the year 2019-20.

Others that have achieved 6-star ratings include Badhra and Baund of Charkhi Dadri district, Wazirpur in Gurugram district, Bahbalpur in Hisar, Malikpur in Jhajjar, Habatpur, Budha Khera Lather and Nepewala in Jind, Gharrot, Jainpur, Janacholi and Nangla Bhiku in Palwal, Jhattipur in Panipat, Berli Kalan and Khera Alampur in Rewari, Kahnaur and Bhainsru Kalan in Rohtak, Mamerkhera in Sirsa and Khurdban in Yamunanagar.

Last year, when the scheme was introduced, out of a total 6,204 GPs in Haryana, only 1,122 (18 per cent) had achieved star-ratings. However, the initiative got a tremendous boost this year with 3,930 GPs achieving star-ratings. Several villages have also shown tremendous improvement – for instance, Chhattan received just “1-star” rating last year, but today has a “6-star” rating this year.

“We were determined to improve our score this time… I am sure we are going to get 7-stars next year”, says Meena Rani, the village head. Her husband, Satish Kumar, proudly lists out the achievements: “Chhattan village has around 150 well-built houses … All the children in the village go to school and there is a zero-dropout rate this year. There are more daughters than sons in our village. There is almost zero crime rate. We are also soon going to have CCTVs and solar lights. The work is already on. We have used panchayat land to create a herbal park and also constructed a playground for children”. The village, which is 100 per cent Open Defecation Free, is also constructing four washrooms and two bathing areas on its outskirts for the labourers, who come to the village for construction work.

“The idea behind this scheme is to generate positive and healthy competition among the Panchayats. Another important aspect is that it encompasses all aspects of rural development, not just infrastructure but also socio-economic development… Basically, it encompasses holistic development of the area”, said Sudhir Rajpal, Principal Secretary, Department of Development and Panchayats, Haryana. Haryana government has also included another parameter of digital literacy under Education’s head from this year onwards.

Besides getting a tag of a 6-star rated village, a GP is also awarded Rs 1 lakh for each parameter. An additional Rs 50,000 is awarded to GPs that have achieved equal or more girl population as compared to boys and Swachhta (cleanliness). Besides that GPs achieving 6-star to 4-star are entitled to receive additional funds. The government gives Rs 20 lakh to a 6-star GPs, Rs 15 lakhs to 5-Star one and Rs 10 lakh to a 4-Star rated GP.