Rural road connectivity deadline rescheduled to 2019, says Birender Singh

The government has brought forward the target date by three years from 2022 to 2019 to achieve complete rural connectivity through all-weather roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). 

Union Minister for Rural Development Birender Singh said this accelerated implementation would be achieved by providing enhanced financial allocation and through a modified funding pattern in the scheme. He said the government has also decided to increase the annual allocation during 2015-16 by Rs 5,000 crore and with this the total Central allocation to states would be Rs 15,100 crore, while it was Rs 9,960 crore during 2014-15. It may be noted that the Central release to states for PMGSY works was Rs 5,196 crore in 2013-14 and Rs 4,313 crore in 2012-13. 

He said increased fund allocation would ensure that scheme targets are achieved by March 2019 – much before the schedule in 2022. 

He said this government’s decision would give a boost to public investment in the rural sector, particularly rural infrastructure. He added that the Ministry was also considering to financially incentivise the states, which achieve the targets allocated to them within the prescribed timeframe. This incentive could be used for periodic maintenance expenditure by the states. He said the Ministry of Rural Development is working in collaboration with the states for preparing a time-bound action plan to cover the outstanding liabilities for sanctioned works to meet the liabilities of all sanctioned works within 2016-17. 

The Minister said the enhanced level of Central allocation to states for 2015-16 as well as the proposed allocation of the same amount for 2016-17 would help in providing connectivity to 29,000 eligible habitations in these two years, which would be much higher than 13,424 habitations connected during 2012-13 and 2013-14.