NEW DELHI, July 3: The Union Cabinet today approved Rs 710 crore in two tranches under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) to Jammu and Kashmir as a special one-time dispensation as cost for land acquisition for completion of PMGSY programmes.
This will enable the State to expedite completion of the PMGSY projects and will cover compensatory afforestation, forest land, trees, private land and structures.
The Cabinet also approved the change in the nomenclature ‘Hill States’ under the PMGSY to ‘Special Category States’.
This change would bring Assam on par with other North Eastern States and increase the Central assistance to 90 per cent from 75 per cent.
The meeting also approved an expenditure of Rs 2,866 crore for implementation of these proposals.
The PMGSY was launched in 2000 to provide all weather connectivity to unconnected habitations with a population of 500 persons and above (250 persons and above in hill States, desert areas (as identified under the Desert Development Programme), tribal Schedule-V areas and 82 selected tribal and backward districts as identified under the Integrated Action Plan (IAP) in rural areas.
The net number of total eligible unconnected habitations are approximately 1.79 lakh. Till May 31, 2013, project proposals for providing connectivity to approximately 1.32 lakh eligible habitations have been sanctioned.
The total cost of sanctioned projects, including projects for upgradation of roads under the PMGSY is approximately Rs 1.5 lakh crore.
Approximately, Rs 1.04 lakh crore have been released to States /Union Territories including administrative costs.
The States have reported that a total length of 3.8 lakh km roads including upgradation have been constructed till May 2013 and about 93,000 eligible habitations have been provided new connectivity, an official release said. (AGENCIES)
Follow our WhatsApp channel