Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana: All 750 MPs to be at scheme launch

NEW DELHI: A veritable jamboree bringing all 750-odd MPs to the capital along with rural development ministers and secretaries from states. And the function to be presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. That's the big bang plan to launch " Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana" on October 11 to showcase Modi as the man putting development above politics.

As part of the scheme to be launched on the birth anniversary of Jai Prakash Narayan, each MP will adopt a village every year for all-round development using the programmes of the Centre and states, aided by his constituency development funds (MPLADS).

For the launch, it is learnt that Union rural development ministry is sending invites to all Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha members as also to RD ministers and secretaries of all states. Besides, 200-odd sarpanches will also attend the event. The PM is expected to speak for half an hour at the event.

The bid to turn the inauguration of the scheme into a spectacle is significant given that Modi has been seeking to appropriate the development plank. With the entire political class in tow, Modi would like to be seen at the helm of a development initiative which is beyond the pale of partisan politics.

It may also be aimed at making it difficult for political rivals to dull Modi's imprimatur on the scheme as it grows in future — a major complaint in Congress that launched big pro-poor welfare measures during the UPA regime.

Modi has made it his trademark to accuse the previous Congress-led government of partisanship and for treating the states ruled by political rivals as pariah. In contrast, he will be presenting himself as a federalist promoting a partnership between the Centre and states for development. This was also the substance of his speech at the launch of a food park in Mysore on Wednesday.