During 2017-18, 44.54 lakh rural houses were built in the country under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G), and Uttar Pradesh was the top performer, having constructed the largest number of these houses among all states.

Madhya Pradesh was the best performer in Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), while West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh made the same achievement in implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).

These states will be duly recognised on Tuesday for their performance at an awards ceremony being held by the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), which runs the schemes as flagship programmes of the government to improve and empower living in rural India.

Madhya Pradesh not only constructed the maximum length of PMGSY roads but also the maximum road-length using green technology. West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh will be awarded under the category convergence and livelihood augmentation in MGNREGS. Mizoram will be recognised for the highest percentage of work completion against the MGNREGS targets.

Among other schemes, the Ministry of Rural Development runs Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAYNRLM) for rural livelihoods; Deen Dayal Upadhyay Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU GKY) for skill development of rural youth and National Rurban Mission (NRuM) to improve the quality of life rural areas.

The awards have been initiated to recognise the outstanding achievements of the states, districts, blocks, organisations and individuals in implementation of various programmes, and to instil healthy competition among them.

Some other schemes to be recognised by the awards are Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (for LPG connection), Saubhagya Yojana (electricity connection), Ujala Yojana (for distribution of LED bulbs), opening of bank accounts (PM Jan Dhan Yojana – PMJDY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana – PMSBY (life insurance cover), Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana – PMJJBY (for accident cover), and Mission Indra- Dhanush – MI (vaccination of pregnant women and children).