Rs 4568 cr to be released for States, UTs
Irfan Tramboo
Srinagar, Apr 27: Union Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan will launch a Rs 3,550-crore rural roads project in J&K and release 4,568.23 crore to 24 states and Union Territories from Srinagar on Tuesday, in a major development push focused on connectivity, rural livelihoods and agriculture.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO
The roads project, under PMGSY-IV (Batch-II), will involve construction of 330 roads spanning 1,600 km to connect 363 habitations.
Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp
The programme will be held at SKICC, here at 11 am, and attended by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary and other senior officials.
Chouhan will also hand over the approval letter for the project to the Chief Minister during the event.
In a significant move, the Union Minister will release Rs 4,568.23 crore under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) “from Srinagar instead of New Delhi”, while also issuing approvals aimed at strengthening women-led self-help groups and promoting “Lakhpati Didis”.
Officials said the visit marks a broader push beyond infrastructure, covering rural economic growth, women’s empowerment and livelihood generation.
Addressing a press conference, here at the BJP office, Chouhan said the Centre is committed to ensuring that J&K does not lag behind in development.
He said rural connectivity is central to this effort, with projects worth over 3,500 crore approved to improve access in remote areas.
“Roads, services and facilities must reach even the remotest villages,” he said, adding that infrastructure development is being treated as a key driver to integrate J&K into the national development framework.
Since the launch of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana in 2000, J&K has seen construction of 3,328 roads covering 19,851 km, along with 257 bridges.
The new phase is aimed at accelerating this progress, officials said.
The Minister said the Government is also working to ensure that no poor family remains without a permanent house.
He said that around five lakh families have applied under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and all eligible beneficiaries will be covered after verification.
In agriculture and horticulture, Chouhan announced a Rs 100-crore Clean Plant Centre to provide disease-free planting material and support high-density plantations.
He said an expert team will prepare a roadmap to increase production from limited land and examine the decline in saffron cultivation.
He said farmers in J&K are being supported through multiple schemes, including PM-Kisan, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Agriculture Infrastructure Fund, Horticulture Mission, Farmer Producer Organisations, e-NAM and micro-irrigation initiatives.
On the apple sector, he said India consumes about 26 lakh metric tonnes annually, while domestic production is around 20 lakh metric tonnes, with the rest imported.
“Our aim is to increase domestic production and reduce imports while protecting farmers’ interests,” he said.
Chouhan also referred to improving connectivity, including the expected arrival of the Vande Bharat Express in Kashmir, and stressed that development of villages is essential for overall growth.
Officials said nearly 96,000 self-help groups, 7,500 village organisations and 650 cluster-level federations are currently active in J&K, supported by community resource persons and initiatives in skill development, entrepreneurship and women-led leadership.
They said the visit carries a broader message of trust, participation and results-oriented governance for farmers, rural families and women’s groups in the region.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
