New Delhi: This might come as a surprise for many. The richest village in Asia is not in China, Japan, or South Korea; it’s in our own country. Yes, you read it right. A village in Gujarat’s Bhuj is the ‘richest village in Asia’. Madhapar in Kachchh town of the state is known as the ‘richest village in entire Asia’.
Madhapar, which is on the outskirts of Bhuj, is home to around 32,000 people, and this population boasts of holding fixed deposits worth Rs 7,000 crore. The people residing in the village mostly belong to the Patel community.
The village has as many as 17 banks, including major public and private banks including the SBI, PNB, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, ICICI Bank, and Union Bank, etc – which is unusual for a single village. Besides, the village also has basic facilities like sanitation, water and road. It also has public and private schools, bungalows and temples.
What’s the reason behind Gujarat village’s prosperity
The village’s prosperity is attributed to its NRI (non-resident Indian) families who deposit crores every year in local banks and post offices. There are nearly 20,000 houses in the village, but around 1,200 families live abroad, particularly in African countries where Gujaratis dominate the construction business. Many residents also reside in the UK, Australia, America, and New Zealand. The main reason behind the substantial economic growth and infrastructural development in the village is the inflow of funds from NRIs.
“Many villagers live and work abroad, but they remain connected to their village and prefer depositing their money in the banks here rather than where they live,” Parulben Kara, former president of the District Panchayat was quoted as saying by Economic Times.