Haryana Approves 582 Village Knowledge Centres Worth Rs 514.53 Crore for Rural Services

The Haryana government has approved a major rural development project to set up 582 Village Knowledge Centres across the state at a total cost of Rs 514.53 crore. The project will be taken up with the support of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), and each centre is expected to cost approximately Rs 88.33 lakh.

The proposal was approved by the State Finance Committee at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini. Development and Panchayats Minister Krishan Lal Panwar was also present at the meeting, where officers placed the proposal for the 582 centres before the committee. The Chief Minister directed the Finance Department to accord the necessary financial approval for the project on priority so that its implementation can be ensured in a time-bound manner.

The Village Knowledge Centres are being developed as all-in-one assistance centres in villages. The aim is to give rural residents better and essential facilities on a par with those available in urban areas, without requiring them to travel to towns and cities for routine services. Officials of the Development and Panchayats Department, along with officials of other departments, will also be available at these centres, so that facilities and services related to different departments can be accessed at a single location.

Each centre will have a meeting room, a Sarpanch office, a Common Service Centre (CSC) room, a digital library and a caretaker room. The digital library and the CSC room are expected to be particularly useful for students, farmers and families who need online services, study material and government-related work close to home. By bringing these facilities together, the centres are designed to work as both service points and community spaces for the village.

Chief Minister Saini also directed that a tree, along with a chabutra — the traditional raised platform — should be provided within the premises of every Village Knowledge Centre. He said chabutras and trees have traditionally been an integral part of social interaction and community life in villages, and the centres should not remain merely places for accessing government services but should also serve as convenient spaces where villagers can sit, interact and socialise.

At the same meeting, the Chief Minister laid special focus on the repair of village streets, phirni roads and street lighting. He directed officers to ensure that where only a particular portion of a street requires repair due to subsidence or damage, only that portion should be repaired instead of dismantling the entire street, so that government funds are properly utilised and residents are saved unnecessary inconvenience. Small issues relating to basic amenities in villages, he said, should be resolved on time so that the maximum benefit of development works reaches the people.