Bhubaneswar: In a significant move towards realising the vision of Viksit Odisha 2036, Rural Development, Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water Minister Rabi Narayan Naik Monday launched the Model Village Mission (MVM) and Mahapurusha Adarsha Grama Yojana (MAGY) through a video conference.
The launch marked the commencement of the baseline survey process for the MVM across Odisha. Emphasising the guiding principles for rural transformation, the minister called up on district administrations to ensure coordinated, effective and time-bound implementation of the initiative aimed at ushering in holistic development in villages. The MVM has been conceived to ensure saturation of villages in Odisha with basic amenities and community infrastructure, enabling urban-like facilities in rural areas and fostering self-sustaining and self-governing communities.
In the first phase, all 6,733 Gram Panchayat (GP) headquarters villages are proposed to be covered by 2029. To identify gaps in infrastructure and essential services, a baseline survey will be undertaken using a comprehensive template developed in consultation with stakeholder departments such as Health & Family Welfare, School & Mass Education, Women & Child Development, Fisheries, Energy and others. Naik also released the survey template during the programme.
To ensure effective monitoring and convergence, a state-level task force chaired by department Commissioner-cum-Sec retary Girish SN has been constituted with representation from all stakeholder departments. Likewise, district-level task forces headed by respective Collectors have been formed to oversee implementation and supervision at the district level. On the occasion, the minister also launched MAGY, a flagship initiative aimed at holistic development of native GPs of eminent personalities who have made exceptional contributions to Odisha’s social, cultural, literary and political landscape.
The minister said MAGY would not only honour and preserve the legacy of Odisha’s distinguished personalities, but also promote inclusive and sustainable development in rural areas across the state. The scheme, to be implemented through convergence of various Central and state government programmes, will roll out over three years from 2026–27 to 2028–29, covering around 100–150 GPs across the state.
In the initial phase, it will be implemented in 15 GPs linked to 16 eminent personalities across 12 districts. Priority under the scheme will be given to infrastructure development, including roads, piped water supply, healthcare services, Anganwadi centres, playgrounds, digital connectivity, solar energy facilities, memorial parks and restoration of ancestral houses. Skill development, digital literacy, social security and livelihood generation will also be given priority.
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