(a) whether the Government proposes to develop rural roads to boost rural economy;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government has prepared any plan for the same and taken any decision on funding pattern; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)
(a) to (d): Rural Road Connectivity is a key component of Rural Development which promotes access to economic and social services and thereby generates increased agricultural income and productive employment opportunities. It also helps in ensuring sustainable poverty reduction. Recognizing the above importance of rural road connectivity, the Government launched Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) in December 2000, as a one-time special intervention to provide rural connectivity, by way of a single all-weather road, to the eligible unconnected habitations of designated population size (500+ in plain areas and 250+ in North-Eastern States, Himalayan States, Deserts and Tribal Areas) in the core network for uplifting the socio-economic condition of the rural population.
The Government subsequently launched new interventions/verticals namely PMGSY-II & Road Connectivity Project for Left Wing Extremism Areas (RCPLWEA) under the Scheme. A total of 6,93,838 km of road length has been sanctioned under PMGSY-I, II and RCPLWEA and 6,00,941 km road length has been constructed till 26th June, 2019.
The Scheme was launched as 100% Centrally Sponsored Scheme. However, since the year 2015-16, the fund sharing pattern of PMGSY was changed to 60:40 between the Centre and the States for all States except North Eastern and 3 Himalayan States (Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand) for which it is 90:10.
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