JK to seek 1500 crore from GoI to build roads
Confirming the development, Syed Altaf Bukhari told that Government of India has in-principle agreed to fund road projects worth Rs 1500 crore under the program.
The Jammu and Kashmir government would seek Rs 1500 crore from the Government of India to build rural road infrastructure under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), sources told us on Tuesday.
As a follow-up to the meeting between JK’s R&B Minister Syed Altaf Bukhari and Union Rural Development Minister Choudary Birender Singh at New Delhi in March this year, the State government is in the process of finalizing the proposals to seek funding from GoI for road sector under 1oth phase of PMGSY . “The R&B’s administrative department would soon submit the projects to the Union Rural Development Ministry for funding,” they disclosed.
Confirming the development, Syed Altaf Bukhari told us that Government of India has in-principle agreed to fund road projects worth Rs 1500 crore under the program.
“The Centre has assured us of liberal assistance for rural road development. They have told us that that we can even spend these funds for completing the projects taken up in previous phases,” he said.
Bukhari said the government would ensure fast-track completion of roads taken up under PMGSY.
“ Our government is committed to provide all- weather road connectivity in rural areas of the State,” Bukhari said.
Pertinently, the previous National Conference-Congress government had come under sharp criticism from the Centre for sloppy implementation of the program.
The Congress-led United Progress Alliance government had repeatedly expressed its dismay over the poor implementation and failure of the state government to utilize the funds released under the scheme.
PMGSY was started in Jammu and Kashmir in 2000 with the aim to develop a massive road network to connect all small habitations with the nearest urban centers.
In 2014, the Comptroller& Auditor General of India said the scheme has fallen victim to state government’s “lackadaisical” approach.
“Implementation of PMGSY is not efficient in the state as only 35 percent of the identified unconnected habitations have been covered from April 2000,” the CAG has pointed out in its report.
