Lauding the role of 'gram parivartaks' in shaping the rural economy of Maharashtra, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Saturday said financially empowering the 6 lakh villages will transform the nation.

Without the development of villages, the country cannot achieve overall progress, he said, addressing the convocation ceremony of CM Rural Development Fellows here.

On the occasion, the Chief Minister also released 'Katha Parivartanachi', a book containing stories that chronicle transformation of villages.

As many as 1,000 villages in Maharashtra were selected under the Village Social Transformation Program, undertaken jointly by the state government and corporate houses for integrated development.

"The programme, which was started two years back, has been successful due to the efforts of gram parivartaks and people's participation.

"Gram parivartaks have done the work of taking the government's schemes to the people on ground level," he said.

Gram parivartaks (village transformers), who hail from various fields, have been appointed by the government to work at the grassroots level to bring all-round development of rural areas and transform the lives of individuals.

Fadnavis said gram parivartaks are the "soul" of this programme and villages outside the purview of the project, too, will take inspiration and strive for their own transformation.

"Infrastructure facilities are important but we are equally focusing on creating sustainable livelihood in villages," the Chief Minister said.

Unless stress is laid on the development of 40,000 villages in Maharashtra and 6 lakh villages in the country, India cannot cannot achieve overall progress, he added.

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