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Most prosperous Asian village (Pic: Wikimedia Commons)
When you think of an Indian village, the images of muddy roads, handpumps, bullock carts, clay houses without electricity, and agricultural labourers working in the fields come to your mind, right? But hold on. A village in Gujarat’s Bhuj will change your perception of Indian villages. It's the richest village in Asia.
Madhapur is on the outskirts of Bhuj in Gujarat. It has a population of around 32,000 and this population holds fixed deposits worth ₹7,000 crore. The village's prosperity is attributed to its 65% NRI (non-resident Indian) population, who deposit crores of rupees every year in local banks and post offices, which they receive from family members as remittances.
A Patel village
Madhapur, with approximately 20,000 houses, is a village of the Patel caster. Think of any major public and private bank, and you will find its branch here. The village boasts of 17 banks, including HDFC Bank, SBI, PNB, Axis Bank, ICICI Bank, and Union Bank. Several other public and private banks are interested in opening their branches in this village.
You will be surprised to know that the significant deposits are primarily from NRI families who live in African countries where they dominate the construction business. Many villagers also reside in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Despite living abroad, these people are still connected to their roots and bring holistic changes to their village.
Bungalows and lakes
"The huge deposits have made it prosperous. It has all the basic facilities like water, sanitation, and roads. There are bungalows, both public and private schools, lakes, and temples," the manager of a nationalised bank in the village said.
Approximately 1,200 families from Madhapur are living abroad. The continuous inflow of remittances has enabled them to develop schools, colleges, health centres, dams, temples, and lakes in the village. They have also established the Madhapur Village Association in London, intending to connect themselves and improve the image of their village abroad.
(By arrangement with livemint.com)
