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Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Thursday launched a statewide campaign, under which girls' toilets will be constructed in all government schools in rural areas and every village will be provided with a crematorium and waiting shed.

These facilities will be developed under the Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) scheme.

Launching the 'Meri Beti-Mera Abhiman' (my daughter, my pride) campaign at a press conference in Mantralaya Mahanadi Bhavan at Nava Raipur, Sai said the drive, to be carried out from August 15 this year to January 26 next year, would strengthen the dignity of women, rural sanitation, social infrastructure and basic civic amenities.

The state government will construct 6,671 toilets for girls in government schools in rural areas at a cost of Rs 286.85 crore, with each unit costing Rs 4.30 lakh, he said.

Besides, crematoriums with waiting sheds will be built in 6,524 villages at a cost of Rs 391.44 crore, while another 549 crematoriums will be constructed at a cost of Rs 18.22 crore, he said.

Sai said the government will also undertake groundwater recharge works by constructing sand filters and recharge structures in 10,027 defunct borewells across the state at an estimated cost of Rs 52.14 crore.

The initiative is aimed at improving groundwater levels, conserving rainwater and addressing drinking water shortages in rural areas, he added.

The CM said he has directed officials to accord priority to all the proposed works and ensure their early execution.

The VB-G RAM G scheme, which replaced the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), came into force across the country on July 1 this year. All development works under the scheme would be selected with the approval of gram sabhas and the daily wage rate had been increased to Rs 300, he said.

Sai said Chhattisgarh is expected to receive nearly Rs 6,855 crore under the VB-G RAM G scheme during the current financial year, the highest-ever allocation for rural employment and development works in the state.

The Centre has already sanctioned over Rs 1,538 crore as the first instalment, he added.

He said 318 types of works have been included in the scheme across four major categories.

These comprise 107 types of water conservation and augmentation activities, 90 types of rural infrastructure development activities, 86 types of livelihood enhancement activities, and 35 types of activities related to climate adaptation and disaster management, he said.

He stated that under water conservation, priority will be given to ponds, check dams, recharge structures, irrigation expansion, groundwater conservation, soil conservation, and tree plantation. Meanwhile, under rural infrastructure, facilities such as roads, culverts, Panchayat buildings, Anganwadis, additional school classrooms, rural libraries, laboratories, kitchen sheds, solid and liquid waste management systems, cremation grounds, and veterinary hospitals will be developed.

The CM mentioned that infrastructure related to haat-bazaars (rural markets), agricultural produce storage, cold storage, dairy, fisheries, and animal husbandry will be developed to boost livelihoods.

He added that under climate change and disaster management, priority will be accorded to flood and cyclone shelters, drainage systems, embankments, forest fire prevention, and post-disaster reconstruction works.

Chhattisgarh has performed exceptionally in preparations for implementing the scheme, securing the top position in the country by completing e-KYC of 98 per cent of registered workers and ranking second in geo-tagging of assets with 99 per cent coverage, he said.

He said Chhattisgarh also topped the country in preparing GIS-based gram panchayat development plans through the Yuktadhara portal.

Sai said the state has proposed a budget of Rs 5,591.42 crore for implementation of the VB-G RAM G scheme in 2026-27, while works worth Rs 1,264 crore had already been executed during the first quarter of the current financial year.

"The objective of the scheme is not merely to generate employment but to build self-reliant and developed villages by strengthening water conservation, sanitation, education, social infrastructure and rural livelihoods," he said. 

(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)