Model Villages with Urban facilities possible utilizing government schemes

Punsari village, barely 100 km from Ahmedabad, could be a textbook case of development. Closed-circuit cameras, water purifying plants, air-conditioned schools, Wi-Fi, biometric machines - the village has it all. And all of it was done in a matter of eight years.

The man behind the transformation is its young sarpanch - 31-year-old Himanshu Patel. A graduate from North Gujarat University, Mr Patel had won the panchayat polls in 2006, at the age of 23. Back then, the village didn't even have proper roads, power or water. The panchayat funds were in deficit. Mr Patel found though money come aplenty, it was the utilisation that's at fault. 

Over the next eight years, together with the district administration, he stitched up funds from under various heads - the District Planning Commission, Backward Regional Grant Fund, 12th Finance Commission, and those under Self Help Group Yojnas - and began the development of the village.

 The results are obvious. Recently, a team from the Central ministries of rural and urban development had come to study the "Punsari model".
But the young sarpanch is already onto his next projects - a unit producing electricity out of plastic waste and e-rickshaws for garbage collection. "The state government has already sanctioned Rs. 52 lakh," he said.

Understanding the importance of education, Mr Patel has earmarked a chunk for the village school. From 300 students in 2006, the number has now doubled to over 600. The classrooms are not just air-conditioned but also have computers and projectors.

"We have managed to attract more children," said teacher Narendra Jhala.  Vidya Patel, a student of Class 7, thinks learning is fun. "The audio visual presentations make it easier to remember our lessons," she said.

Interestingly, Mr Patel has not asked for a penny from the MLA fund, and over the last eight years, the village has just got Rs. 1 lakh from the MP fund.

"We didn't feel the need, since there is enough from various budgetary grants of the state and Centre. If you utilise it properly, you can work wonders,'' said Mr Patel.

"The village has demonstrated how understanding various schemes available and leveraging them properly can bring about a qualitative change," said Himmatnagar collector Banchha Nidhi Pani. At a government primary school in the village, the students are under constant CCTV observation. This is to keep a tab on any wayward activities. Says Bhagwatiben Patel, Principal of the Punsari Primary School, "With the cameras in place, we can monitor the kids better. And even the children know they are being watched."

A reverse osmosis plant in the village provides clean drinking water at a nominal cost of Rs 4 for a 20-litre drinking water can. An indepenent bus service, a Wi-Fi tower providing 24-hour free Internet connectivity, water-proof public speakers and solar-powered lamps have enhanced Punsari's brand equity. And with each villager being insured for an accidental cover of Rs 1 lakh and a mediclaim cover of Rs 25,000, the people here have little to complain.

Sarpanch Himanshu Patel says, "The main intention was that we should have an atmosphere of a village, but facilities like those in the city. The government talks of urban-rural connect now, but we have already done it."

Punsari's turnaround happened when the village sold part of its land for plotted schemes. The money, deposited in government coffers, is used to fund the village's welfare schemes. And the village has now received good governance awards from both the central and state governments.

Meanwhile, neither is the village drenched in NRI funds nor have its schemes been funded through donations. It's just that the village has managed its accounts well and has made optimal use of government schemes.