The centrally sponsored scheme, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana( PMGSY), is all set to be revamped with the Union Rural Development Ministry mulling a series of measures including cutting down construction costs of the rural roads and making States accountable for their maintenance.
The Ministry is also preparing a plan to build more roads for better connectivity with rural villages for which it is seeking more funds from the Finance Ministry in the forthcoming budget.“My Ministry will totally revisit the specifications, standards and guidelines of the PMGSY for reducing cost in construction of rural roads.“By rescheduling the entire fixation of PMGSY, a lot of funds could be saved to build more roads in the rural areas and pointed out that 14 per cent administrative expenses is too much in the overall budget,” said Union Minister for Rural Development Birender Singh on Thursday.
He also said that his Ministry is seeking more budgetary allocation from Finance Ministry for the rural roads under the programme launched by the first NDA Government headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee.“Finance Ministry also appreciates our efforts as far as the PMGSY is concerned. The more funds...The more connectivity, more prosperity, and more reason to our GDP,” he said after inaugurating initiatives under PMGSY on ‘Good Governance Day’ to mark Vajpayee’s birthday.
It was the Government under then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee which had launched the PMGSY to provide connectivity to unconnected habitations as part of a poverty reduction strategy.The Ministry, under the scheme, is also giving more priority to give increased connectivity in the international border areas, Birender Singh said adding that waste materials, particularly, plastics should be used for constructing rural roads under the scheme.
He also suggested that States should bear the burden for maintenance of roads as there is a dedicated machinery in each state to undertake such works. Over Rs14,000 crore rupees will be spent for providing road connectivity in the rural areas, which will facilitate poverty reduction on a large scale.