budget

Updated: Jul 09, 2019 23:23 IST

The Union Cabinet led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to clear the third phase of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), the flagship rural road scheme, with a focus on improving connectivity between villages and agricultural markets.

Under phase 3, the government is likely to build 1.25 lakh kms of roads in rural areas at an expenditure of ₹80,250 crore. The proposal is expected to be cleared by the cabinet on Wednesday.

In the first full budget of the new government, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman underlined how the government has given a massive push to all forms of physical connectivity including PMGSY.

The third phase of PMGSY will focus on improving connectivity between the farmer’s home and the market. “The idea is to help the farmer take his produce easily to the markets and possibly at a lesser cost. The improved roads will also allow vehicles to ply between habitations and local markets,” a senior official said on the condition of anonymity.

In her budget speech, Sitharaman had said, “Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) has brought many socio-economic gains in the rural areas. To accelerate the speed of achieving universal connectivity of eligible habitations, the target of connecting the eligible and feasible habitations was advanced from 2022 to 2019.” “I am happy to inform that all weather connectivity has now been provided to over 97% of such habitations. This has been possible by maintaining a high pace of road construction of 130 to 135 km per day in the last 1,000 days,” added Sitharaman.