Source: The Sangai Express / Manipur Info Centre
New Delhi, May 10:
Outlay of Rs 6500 crore has been provided in budget estimate of the current fiscal year for construction of rural roads in the country under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), a component of the Bharat Nirman Programme.
This was stated by the Union Minister of State for Rural Development Suryakanta Patil yesterday in reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.
Out of the amount, a sum of Rs 33 crore has been earmarked for providing new road connectivity of 464.286 km to 48 habitations in rural areas of Manipur during the year 2007-08.During the year 2007-08 under Bharat Nirman Programme, the target of new connectivity is 43989.93 km to connect 20071 habitations and upgradation of roads of 59316.28 km in the entire country.
Sources from the Ministry of Rural Development said that the four-year business plan for rural connectivity under Bharat Nirman programme started from the year 2005-06 and would continue to 2008-09.During the four-year period, new rural road network of 1,46,185 km will be constructed and existing rural road network of 1,94,132 km will be upgraded to connect 66,802 habitations with all weather roads.
The Government of India will invest a total of Rs.48,000 crores for this four-year business plan on rural connectivity.
The primary objective of the PMGSY is to provide connectivity, by way of an all-weather road with necessary culverts and crossdrainage structures operable throughout the year, to all eligible unconnected habitations with a population of 1000 persons or 500 persons in rural areas.
In respect of hill states and desert areas, the objective would be to connect habitations with a population of 250 persons and above.
During the first year 2005-06 of the business plan, Manipur constructed 111 km of new roads out of the target for construction of 110 km new roads and upgradation of existing 171.6 km roads, covering 10 habitations of 1000 populations and 30 habitations of 500 populations.
During the last year 2006-07, Manipur achieved 146.61 km of new roads out of the target of 460.71 km of new connectivity and 52.94 km upgradation.
During the four-year business plan on road connectivity, 1744 km new rural roads will be constructed to connect 181 habitations in Manipur, the sources added.