CM fellows....Transforming Villages through MVSTF !!!!

CM fellows....Transforming Villages through MVSTF !!!!

Imagine being part of a system which enables you to represent the state as well as interact not only with the Chief Minister  but also with the heads of the corporate world !!! This unique opportunity is available to the Chief Minister's Rural Development Fellows under the Maharashtra Village Social Transformation Programme.
Launched by the Hon"ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri. Devendra Fadnavis, wherein youth between the age 20 and 30 have been selected as CMRDFs. Like catalysts they add an element of freshness to administration with their youthful energy and novel ideas.
For the last three years about 500 CM fellows have joined the programme and are taking active part in bringing about change in the state and the country.
I had been called to address the 8th and 9th batch  of CM Fellows at YASHADA, the apex training institute of the state.
The class reverberated with their claps and the enthusiasm which was infectious even as we began with a small prayer, " Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah, Sarve Santu Niraamayahaa, Sarve Bhadrani Paschyantu, Maa kaschid dukhabhagbhavet." meaning
May there be joy and prosperity in everyone's life, May all be free from illness, May everybody be inspired with noble thoughts and may nobody have sorrows....

Welfare of the rural households is the mandate of the Department of Rural Development under which the MVSTF operates. It aims for self-sufficient and prosperous villages, the basic unit of administration., the centrifuge of activity. The programme is a collaborative effort between the government and the corporate world. It aims at harnessing the strength of the corporates for overall development of the village through knowledge sharing and critical gap funding. Thousand self- sustained villages are to be developed by providing infrastructure as well as ensuring quality last mile service delivery.

The focus in these villages is to create an inclusive growth model, transforming them into model villages which are self-sustainable due to collaborative and focused efforts. 
This unique cocept has fired the imagination of corporates like Tata Trusts, Aditya Birla Group, Reliance Foundation, Mahindra Group, Hindustan Unilever, Axis Foundation, HDFC Foundation amongst others. Together they have created an enabling platform for speedy implementation by incorporating Maharashtra Village Social Transformation Foundation” (MVSTF) a section 8 not-for-profit organization. The Board of these Patrons to the foundation is headed by the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra and  consists of Ratan Tata, Anand Mahindra, Rajashree Birla, Anna Hazare among other eminent personalities. 
So effectively CMRDFs have access to the best in both worlds.
It becomes doubly important to ensure that they are able to absorb these energies positively and remain grounded while supporting the scheme in their respective villages.
Truly speaking their main role is to facilitate various departments and put forth innovative ideas. They cannot get caught in the myriad of winning accolades for their performance. In fact their role is more of providing synergy to the scheme to take it forward.
Their training included various schemes of the rural development, sanitation, water conservation, agriculture, animal husbandry, MGNREGA.
I had been called to speak on the Maharastra State Rural Livelihoods Mission.
It was a great opportunity to explain the deep rooted philosophy of forming community based organisations like the SHGs, VOs, CLFs which gives strength to rural Maharashtra. Dashasutri, the holistic concept of development of a village upholds 10 cardinal principles of regular meetings, savings, internal lending, repayment of loans, writing books of accounts added with  social aspects of  health, nutrition and sanitation, education, participatory governance, entitlements and sustainable livelihoods.
The Livelihood activities are three pronged to improve agriculture by enhancing productivity and making it sustainable through organic farming, providing access to allied activities like animal husbandry and skilling of rural youth through DDUGKY for employment and through RSETI for self-employment. The end aim is to ensure that each household earns at least Rs.1 lakh annually from a combination of all the above.
The mission has a dedicated team in the district, block and cluster and CRPs at the village level. The CM fellow needs to align with the District Mission Manager and be a part of this mission.
Individuals are a part of the society and exist for the welfare of the society and not vice versa.
Thr young brigade of revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru, Ramprasad Bismil during the freedom struggle may have said, " वक़्त आने पर बता देंगे तुझे, ए आसमान, हम अभी से क्या बताएँ , क्या हमारे दिल में है" . However , the CMRDFs, had the opportunity, to perform now as they had opted to serve the state.
Arjun in the Mahabharata was the only archer to hit the bird's eye because he concentrated on his target, without getting distracted by everything else around it. That could be our greatest learning

For as said by William Ralph Emerson in his,
"A Nation's Strength", has said that a nation does not become strong with gold, sword or pride but by men who stand up for truth and honor, by men who work while others sleep, who dare while others fly. They build a nation's pillars deep and lift them to the sky.
The youth is the future and hope for tomorrow. CMRDFS represented that hope , they could be the change and bring about that change too.

Or as Hasrat Jaypuri says....

"पीछे मत देख , न शामिल हो , गुनाहगारों में ,
सामने देख , कि मंज़िल है , तेरी तारों में,
बात बनती है, अगर दिल में , इरादे हो अटल"