President inaugurates smart village pilot project at Rashtrapati Bhavan

President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated a smart model village pilot project at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Saturday. Speaking at the function to inaugurate the smart village, the President said today he felt that Rashtrapati Bhavan had been truly opened to the public since the village representatives were present there. "It is only the representatives of the villages who can transform this country which has more

than six lakh villages. Our progress and development can be achieved at the desirable speed only in partnership with these decision makers in the villages. We also need to empower our women and youth,''the President said. He expressed confidence that this initiative would not remain confined to these five villages but would spread to the entire country. The President said in the last nearly four years of his Presidency this was the first time that he was having the privilege of interacting with Sarpanches and village level functionaries in Rashtrapati Bhavan. Since assuming office, he had been emphasizing on the opening of the Rashtrapati Bhavan to the people. "This is a landmark initiative for us as we seek to replicate the experience in transforming the President's Estate into a smart model township, in five selected villages in Haryana,''he said.

He complimented and thanked all stakeholders, central ministries, the government of Haryana including district/ village level administration and local bodies and governmental and other organizations, who are partnering with Rashtrapati Bhavan in this effort. 

The five villages which will be developed into the smart villages under this pilot project are Dhaula, Alipur, Harichandpur and Taj Nagar from Gurgaon district and Rojka Meo from Mewat district of Haryana. 

The President had announced this pilot project on the occasion of inauguration of the Intelligent Operations Centre (IOC) in Rashtrapati Bhavan and launching of a Mobile App 'Monitor' for transformation of President's Estate into a smart township on May 19, 2016. 

Among the dignitaries present on the occasion were Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal, Union Minister for Rural Development Chaudhary Birender Singh, Minster of Development and Panchayat, Government of Haryana, Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, Chief Secretary of Haryana, other senior officers of Government of Haryana and Union Government, MLAs of Haryana, community and panchayat leaders and other people’s representatives/stakeholders.