The Union Minister for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Mines Shri Narendra Singh Tomar today reviewed the progress of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, PMGSY here and directed the senior state officials to speed up the execution of rural roads to achieve full rural connectivity by March, 2019. 1,78,184 eligible habitations with 500 populations in plain areas and 250 in hilly areas had to be connected by all weather roads. As of March, 2014, 97838 such habitations (55%) were connected. Today 1,30,974 habitations have been connected under PMGSY and another nearly 14,620 habitations have been connected through State Government Programmes, bringing the total habitations connected to 82%. This has been possible by speeding up the pace of road construction and habitation connectivity over the last 3 years, reaching 130 kms per day construction (highest in the last 7 years) in 2016-17. Work is in progress in all but 1700 remaining habitations. The remaining 1700 habitations will also be approved by end December, 2017. It is likely that we will be very close to 100% connectivity of eligible habitations by March, 2019.

The major challenge lies in Assam, Jammu & Kashmir and Uttrakhand on account of the difficult terrain. In Chhattisgarh, Malkangiri district of Odisha and LWE areas of Jharkhand, challenge is on account of Left Wing Extremism. Bihar and West Bengal which also have large connectivity to achieve and therefore, require speedy implementation. The Ministry is constantly following up with all these States to ensure achievement of targets by March 2019. Funds are not a constraint and States have been forthcoming with their State share.

To further enable ease of decision making, monitoring and transparency, the Department is committed to complete GIS mapping of all rural roads of the country by 2018. Today, we are soft launching the GIS mapping of 10 States which have already completed the process. These are Odisha, Uttrakhand, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Telengana, Chattisgarh and Meghalaya.

The Department has also made concerted efforts for adoption of green and innovative technology and a target of 10000 kms of such roads, is likely to be completed in the current financial year. At the time of approval, States are opting for a minimum 15% roads with green technologies like use of waste plastic, fly ash, copper and iron slag, geo textile, cold mix, paneled cement concrete, cell filled concrete. Nano Technology products are also being used for stabilization of roads, so far 3,426 kms. roads have been constructed in the current financial year, using these technologies. The Department in partnership with States is fully geared to go beyond the achievements of 2016-17 by completing 51000 kms at the rate of 140 kms per day in the current financial year.

The meeting was attended by Minister of State Shri Ram Kripal Yadav, Secretary, Rural Development, Shri Amarjeet Sinha and senior officials of the Centre and states.

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