Before LS polls, Modi govt plans country-wide ‘rath yatra’ to take Central schemes to villages

Conceptualised on the “whole of government approach”, it is expected to be a two-month-long exercise. While the launch date is yet to be finalised, it is learnt that the yatra may begin in October-November.

The contours of the yatra are being finalised at the top, with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and ministries in charge of key schemes including PM-Kisan, PM-Mudra Yojana, PM-Jan Dhan Yojana, PM-Awas Yojana, and the recently launched PM-Vishwakarma Yojana involved in the exercise.

The outreach programme was discussed at a meeting at the PMO on September 23, which was chaired by Amit Khare, Advisor to the Prime Minister.

Besides being equipped with GPS and drones, the specially-designed raths will have LED display screens and preloaded audio-visual content to highlight the major Central schemes and demonstrate innovations and new technologies.

Each rath is expected to cover three gram panchayats daily, accompanied by four-five officials from the government departments associated with the implementation of the schemes. The officials will facilitate eligible beneficiaries to avail of the schemes and also provide on-the-spot grievance redressal.

The event is likely to start with a pre-recorded message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and end with a video conference with a VVIP and other participants. Elected representatives, beneficiaries of schemes, members of self-help groups and farmers producers’ organisations are also likely to accompany the rath.

To pull in the crowds, a cultural programme is likely to be organised the day before the rath arrives in a village. The theme of the programme, titled Dharti Kahe Pukar Ke, will be the judicious use of chemical fertilisers and promotion of organic manure. The Ministry of Culture may be roped in for training about 7,500 troupes of performers for the cultural programme.

In keeping with the BJP’s slogan of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’, Modi has often emphasised the need for “saturation coverage” of welfare schemes. “100% villages should have roads, 100% households should have a bank account, 100% beneficiaries should have Ayushman Bharat card, 100% eligible persons should have gas connection under Ujjwala scheme, and 100% beneficiaries should have Awas,” he said in his Independence Day speech in 2021.

He reiterated this during a webinar on the Union Budget 2022. Saying that his government has provided basic facilities such as water, electricity, gas connections, toilets and roads, he added: “Now is the time for saturation of these schemes, to achieve their 100% goals. For this, we will also have to adopt a new strategy… we also have to focus on new technology so that projects are completed faster and quality is not compromised.”