Central Govt Plans Major Funding For Rural Road Connectivity Under PMGSY

In the past few years, the infrastructural development of roads and connectivity has been rising. Many expressways and tunnels have been constructed to connect various parts of India. As many big cities are connected through expressways and highways, the central government is now planning on increasing the connectivity of villages. The government has aimed that, with connectivity to villages, good roads to rural areas can accelerate economic activities and reduce poverty. For this, the scope of Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) will be increased and the roads in villages will be restructured. It will increase connectivity to rural areas.

As per the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), villages that have a minimum population of 300 to 400 people will be selected to improve connectivity. However, this number is just for plain areas. For hilly areas, deserts, and some other backward areas, priority will be given to building good roads up to villages with a population of 100 people. It has been found that the government is expected to allocate a lot of funds for this project in the upcoming budget.

Currently, the third phase of PMGSY is going on. The PMGSY started in the year 2000. In this scheme, villages that have a population of more than 500 people in the plains will be connected to the cities, while for hilly and desert regions, this figure is 250 people. Sources say that the fourth phase of this scheme will also begin soon. As per reports, the government had allocated around Rs 16,600 crore in the interim budget for the third phase of the scheme. It is believed that the fourth phase will also begin next year.

Talking about the PMGSY scheme, around 1.25 lakh kilometre-long roads are being built to connect rural areas to agricultural markets, higher secondary schools, and hospitals. It has been found that the first and second phases of the PMGSY are almost 99 per cent complete. The work for the third phase is also complete. The scheme has also aimed to increase the green cover near the roads. While constructing the roads, the scheme also plants trees, saplings, and small plants.