MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PLANNING (SHRI M.V. RAJASEKHARAN)
(a) & (b): The modified/ revised targets envisaged under each of the six components of Bharat Nirman are:
i) to create one crore hectare additional irrigation capacity.
ii) to cover 66802 habitations with population over 1000 (500 in hilly and tribal areas) with all weather road.
iii) to cover 55067 uncovered habitations with drinking water. In addition, all
habitations which have slipped back from full coverage to partial coverage due to
failure of source and habitations which have water quality problems to be
addressed.
iv) to construct 60 lakh houses for the rural poor.
v) to provide electricity to remaining 1,25,000 villages and 23 million households.
vi) to connect 66822 villages with telephone.
The above targets are to be achieved through ongoing programmes (with upscaling in some
cases) like the Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (and other state funded programmes for irrigation), Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, Indira Awas Yojana, Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidhyutikaran Yojana and use of Universal Service Obligation Fund for village public telephone. These programmes have their own guidelines.
State-wise targets under each component are based on needs of the states and gaps in the state in rural infrastructure provision.
The focus in Bharat Nirman is to impart a sense of urgency in the goals to make the
programme time bound, transparent and accountable. The Chief Ministers of various states have been addressed for closely monitoring the programmes.
(c): The programme is being monitored by the inter-Ministerial Committee on Rural
Infrastructure chaired by the Prime Minister. The Committee met thrice in 2005-06.
(d) to (f): 7477 number of village public telephones have been provided till March, 2006 out of which 4928 were provided in 2005-06 at a cost of Rs.11.79 cr. 4417 villages are planned to be covered by November, 2007.
