3rd phase of rural road scheme okayed

Ravi S Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 10

In a bid to take the Central scheme to provide all-weather road connectivity in rural areas to higher level, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today approved launch of third phase of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).

“Punjab, Haryana, Karnataka and Gujarat are currently eligible for implementation of the PMGSY-III as per the laid down parameters,” said Rural Development Minister Narendra Singh Tomar. It includes thorough routes and major rural links that connect habitations to Gramin Agricultural Markets, higher secondary schools and hospitals.

“All decks have been cleared to launch it,” Tomar added, stressing that the project would act as catalyst for all-round development of rural areas, including giving boost to the agriculture sector.

As much as 1,25,000 km road length in the states are proposed to be consolidated at a cost of Rs80,000 crore.

Tomar said the eligibility criteria for inclusion of the states under the project include implementation of Phase-I and II of the PMGSY in the advanced stage. The states will need to enter an MoU before launching the project.

Centre vs state share

While the Central share will be Rs 53,800 crore, states’ share will be Rs 26,450 crore. The funds would be shared in the ratio of 60:40 between the Centre and states except eight North-Eastern and three Himalayan states (J&K, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand) for which it is 90:10