PURA INITIATIVE

Pune Rural Administration implemented the Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural Areas (PURA) initiative amid COVID-19 pandemic.
Providing urban amenities in Rural Areas (PURA) is the concept of former President APJ Abdul Kalam in the VISION 2020 project initiated by him.
This concept was presented by Dr. Kalam in Indian National Science Congress’s 90th conference in Chandigarh in January 2004.
Its aim is to make rural areas as attractive as cities and to bridge the rural-urban divide and to provide India new heights and achievements, developed status and economy.
PURA scheme was implemented on a pilot basis in seven clusters for a period of three years (2004- 05 to 2006-07) by the Ministry of Rural Development.
PURA 2.0 was a central sector scheme, launched in 2012 which focused on development of potential growth centres such as census towns.
Amenities and economic activities under PURA included: Water and Sewerage, Construction and maintenance of Village streets, Drainage, Solid Waste Management, Skill Development, village street lighting, telecom, electricity generation, village linked tourism, etc.