PR Ministry to build community centres for religious purposes

Panchayati Raj Minister Birender Singh today said his Ministry was working on a proposal to build village community centres for those poor rural people who don't have enough space at their homes to perform prayers and marriages.
"In villages, because of the small size of their houses, it is very difficult for anyone to perform any religious function, or may be a marriage, or a condolence meet... There is no place to sit.
"I have asked my Panchayati Raj ministry to come out with a proposal where we can build infrastructure," he told reporters here.
Speaking on cleanliness drive launched in rural areas, Singh, who is also the Minister for Rural Development and Drinking Water and Sanitation, said he has written to the chief ministers to direct the state universities to contribute to the Swacch Bharat Mission.

The universities have been asked to adopt at least five villages for the cleanliness campaign.
He said the Ministry has received "very positive response" from at least four states including Tamil Nadu, Haryana and Rajasthan where varsities have agreed to work on this direction.

Singh said a detailed proposal for the government's ambitious rurban mission has been worked out.
The Minister also said that the government would continue MNREGA across the country but more stress would be given to the development of the backward regions of the country under the programme.
On Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ambitious Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana, Singh said 601 MPs have selected gram panchayats for implementation of the programme and expressed hope that rest of the MPs would select villages soon.