OREANDA-NEWS. April 08, 2015. The Minister for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Drinking water & Sanitation, Government of India, ShriBirender Singh met the Prime Minister of Mauritius Sri Anerood Jugnauth this evening during his visit to Mauritius to attend the 18th African-Asian Rural Development Organization (AARDO) Conference.

He congratulated the Prime Minister of Mauritius on assuming the Presidentship of AARDO for the next triennium (2015-2017) and hoped that AARDO would make appreciable progress in strengthening cooperation in field of Rural Development under the able leadership of the Prime Minister of Mauritius. Shri Birender Singh talked about the unique and historic relationship between India and Mauritius and hoped that the decisions taken during the recent visit of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to Mauritius will be implemented effectively. The Minister also discussed the various rural development programmes of India like MGNREGA, which guarantees wage employment for 100 days, skill development for youth, Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojna for better rural connectivity and provision of urban amenities in rural areas.

Shri Birender Singh also met the Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Housing and Lands, Shri Showkutally Soodhun, and reiterated the commitment of India to strengthen the cooperation in the field of Rural Development between India and Mauritius. They also discussed the rural housing programmes of India and Mauritius. Shri Birender Singh said that India stands committed to provide housing for all by the year 2022.

Shri Birender Singh is on a four day visit to Mauritius to attend the AARDO Conference. This is being attended by 16 member countries from Asia and Africa. Addressing the conference, the Minister assured that India, being a founder member of AARDO promoting south-south cooperation, would continue to support the activities of AARDO. He announced continuation of additional contribution of India to AARDO to the tune of US \\$ 600,000 over the next triennium (2015-2017). During the Conference, India has been elected as a member of the Executive Committee of AARDO.