Without rural India's development, Vikshit Bharat cannot be achieved: Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Addressing a meeting with all rural development ministers of all states and union territories, he said, "Without rural India's development, Vikshit Bharat cannot be achieved and it is Narendra Modi's vision to make Vikshit Bharat by 2047."

He further expressed his hope to make every Indian village free from poverty.

"Can we take an oath to make a poverty-free village in 2025? I want villages to be free from poverty. It means every person from the village is not unemployed. We all can do it together. It is difficult, but it is not impossible," he said.

"The prime minister's message is that to achieve the goal, we have to put a timeline for it in schemes," the union minister added.

Addressing state ministers, he further said, "For PM AWAAS yojna, again a survey has to be done. Work has already been started and you're also doing your work. But can we also educate people? So, can we also work together with other departments and do our work?

"In the last 10 years, 3.45 crore houses have been built in rural areas under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. In the last 8 years, 10 thousand houses have been built every day. I congratulate all of you for this," he added.

"We have to make 2 crore new houses in the next 5 years," he stated.

Earlier in the day, Chouhan offered prayers at the Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga temple in Trimbak, Maharashtra.

Speaking to ANI during a visit to Maharashtra's Trimbak town in Nashik district, Chouhan, said, "...I came here every New Year with my family to seek blessings. This new year is dedicated to the farmers... I want to assure farmers that the damage that occurred to the farmers' crops will be recovered under the 'Crop Insurance Scheme." (ANI)