The Ministry of Rural Development (KPLB) is targeting 10 new villages for its Desa Lestari (sustainable village) programme this year, involving an allocation of RM10 million.

Its deputy minister 1 Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamad said selections began January this year and the amount for the one-off allocation to the village is based on an assessment by the Desa Lestari working committee on its proposed entrepreneurship project.

"The assessment process and site visits have been conducted in several parts of the states involved and will continue in Sabah from Sept 7 to 9," he said in a statement here, today.

Abd Rahman said since the programme was initiated in 2013 and up to last year, 128 villages have been selected with an allocation amounting to RM147.4 million.

In the same period, nine villages have been picked for the programme in Sabah, involving RM9 million.

-- BERNAMA