NEW DELHI, Nov 24: Government today reduced the deadline for completion of rural connectivity through all- weather roads under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana by three years from 2022 to 2019 and increased annual allocation to the states by Rs 5,000 crore.
“The Government has forwarded the target date by three years from 2022 to 2019 to achieve complete rural connectivity through all-weather roads under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, PMGSY,” Union Rural Development minister Chaudhary Birender Singh said in a State.
The Government has also decided to increase the annual allocation of the Central release for PMGSY works during year 2015-16 by Rs 5,000 crore and with this the total Central allocation to states would now be Rs 15,100 crore, he said.
It was Rs 9960 crore during 2014-15, Rs 5196 crore in 2013-14 and Rs 4313 crore in 2012-13.
The Union Rural Development minister said accelerated implementation of rural connectivity will be achieved by providing enhanced financial allocation and through a modified funding pattern in the Scheme.
Government is also considering to give financial incentives the states who achieve the targets allocated to them, within the prescribed time frame.
It has also accepted the recommendation of the Sub-Group of Chief Ministers on Rationalization of Centrally Sponsored on modified sharing pattern.
The sub group has recommended that fund sharing pattern of PMGSY will be in the ratio of 60:40 between the Centre and States for all states except for 8 North Eastern and 3 Himalayan states, where the formulae of 90:10 will be applied.
PMGSY was launched in year 2000 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with the objective to provide single all-weather road connectivity to all eligible unconnected rural habitations.
Under PMGSY-I, 1,78,184 unconnected habitations were identified. In 15 years of implementation so far, 1,12,550 habitations, which is 63 per cent of the target have been connected with PMGSY roads.
The States are yet to complete the roads to provide connectivity to about 37 per cent of habitations as per the mandate of the scheme, the statement said. (PTI)
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