The Maharashtra government has given the green light for a significant expansion of its flagship Smart & Intelligent Village initiative. The state cabinet has approved the extension of the pilot project to cover a total of 75 villages across five key districts: Nagpur, Amravati, Hingoli, Sindhudurg, and Pune.
Encouraging Pilot Results Lead to Widespread Expansion
This major scaling-up decision comes on the back of highly encouraging outcomes from the initial phases of the project implemented in Satnavari village, located in Nagpur district. The success of Phases 1 and 2 in Satnavari served as a proof of concept, convincing the state administration to replicate and expand the model before a potential statewide rollout. A government resolution formally outlined this strategic move.
Vidarbha Region Gets Major Share of Project Allocation
The resource allocation highlights a focused approach on the Vidarbha region, which is set to receive 44% of the total project allocation. A detailed district-wise breakdown reveals that Amravati district will see the highest number of villages included, with 23 villages selected under the scheme. Nagpur district will have 10 villages transformed into smart and intelligent hubs.
Blueprint for a Technologically Empowered Rural Landscape
The core objective of the scheme is to metamorphose the chosen villages into modern, technologically enabled, and service-oriented clusters. The Gram Panchayats will be equipped with a comprehensive suite of smart facilities designed to uplift the quality of life and governance.
The planned interventions include:
- CCTV surveillance for enhanced security.
- Free public Wi-Fi connectivity.
- Specialized literacy and education programmes.
- Improved access to health services and animal husbandry support.
- Focused women and child welfare services.
- Robust disaster management systems.
- Smart agricultural census tools for farmers.
Governance and Funding Framework
Collector Vipin Itankar, who heads the district-level committee supervising the project, confirmed the development path. "On the lines of Satnavri, the remaining 10 smart villages will also be developed. We will now begin the review process of the selected villages and gram panchayats," he stated. He added that the budget has not been finalised yet as the review is still in progress.
The financial model for the initiative is clearly defined. The entire capital expenditure (capex) outlay will be borne by the state government. For operational expenses, a self-sufficiency model will be adopted, which includes provisions for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funding and sponsorships from eligible institutions.
Digital Infrastructure and Implementation Timeline
The crucial digital backbone for the project will be established through a joint effort. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and MahaIT will provide the technical support. BSNL, having already executed BharatNet Phase 1 across Maharashtra, will oversee network supervision and connectivity in the selected villages. MahaIT will be responsible for maintaining the Phase 2 infrastructure.
Vinayak Mahamuni, the Zilla Parishad CEO and a member of the review committee, shed light on the implementation pace. "Most of the solutions required are standalone, so the timeline entirely depends on how long the basic initial survey takes," he explained. "Once that survey is completed and we know exactly what needs to be done, the pace of work will increase significantly." He also mentioned that a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is being drafted for submission to the state government, with groundwork commencing after its approval.
Three-Tier Monitoring for Smooth Execution
To ensure effective and transparent execution, the government has instituted a three-tier monitoring structure. At the apex state level, a high-powered committee led by the Chief Secretary will oversee the entire project. This committee will conduct regular reviews of the implementation with divisional commissioners and district officials, ensuring accountability and timely progress.
This expansion marks a decisive step in Maharashtra's journey towards bridging the urban-rural digital divide and fostering sustainable, intelligent growth in its villages.
