Excelsior Correspondent
BENGALURU, Jan 28 : Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh launched here today the first of its kind “ Bhuvan Panchayat Portal” by ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) for rural development.
In a brief ceremony held at ISRO headquarter here, Dr Jitendra Singh launched the new ISRO Portal, thus marking the beginning of a larger role of space technology in various projects of rural planning and rural development across the country, in all the panchayats numbering over 2.5 Lakhs. This initiative is expected to bring about saving of time and budget with more meticulous and accurate accomplishment of various projects in rural areas across the country .
Speaking on the occasion after the formal launching, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the Panchayats of India were sought to be empowered through 73 and 74 Amendments of the Constitution, which the government had brought over 30 years ago. However, the letter and spirit of this constitutional provision has been followed only now under the Modi government. Not only direct financial aid from the Centre to Panchayats has been assured by the government, but besides the financial empowerment, the functional empowerment is also sought to be provided through the latest modes of space technology, he added.
Recalling the words of Dr Vikram Sarabhai, the Founding Father of India’s Space programme who had wished that India’s space programme should be Pan-India, Dr Jitendra Singh said, today we have not only vindicated Sarabhai’s dream, but in addition to making our space programme Pan-India, we are also seeking to make it Pan-Indian by touching the life of every citizen even if he lives in the remotest rural area.
Giving singular most credit to the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dr Jitendra Singh recalled, it was under Prime Minister Narendra Modi that an extensive brain-storming was held, wherein representatives from each department and Ministry interacted with Space Scientists to understand how best space technology could be applied in different sectors. As a result, he said, space technology is today being used in most of the priority programmes of Government of India including Smart-Cities, roads, rail, Soil Health Card, MGNREGA etc. And now, the rural planning and rural development would also make use of the space based information and assistance, he added.
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