27-Mar-2023: Expansion of the Domain of MPLAD Scheme
Under the Revised Guidelines, Hon’ble MPs have been given the flexibility in choosing the works that can be taken up under MPLAD Scheme provided it leads to creation of durable public assets for larger public good of the society. The Hon’ble MPs will not be required to wait for the actual fund to be released by the Ministry before recommending new projects as they will be allocated annual drawing limits at the beginning of each financial year subject to certain conditions. The entire process of fund flow will operate on an IT platform which will allow all the stakeholders, including Hon’ble MPs, the Central and State Govt. agencies, the district authorities etc. to monitor the status of funds and works on real time basis. All redundant provisions have been done away with and several new provisions have been incorporated.
21-Mar-2023: GIS Data for Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana
The Ministry of Rural Development has released Geographic Information System (GIS) data developed for the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) scheme in public domain. Under PMGSY-III, more than 7.70 lakh rural facilities such as medical, educational and markets have been geo-tagged. Details of rural roads are available in public domain at https://geosadak-pmgsy.nic.in/opendata. The GIS data created under PMGSY National GIS guideline is not just of rural areas, but serves as a holistic national geo-spatial dataset including urban areas, National Highways, State Highways and Railway tracks, etc. GeoSadak has been developed utilizing fully indigenous GIS data layers and satellite data services.
The details of roads in the district rural roads plan are visible through GIS visualization tool at http://pmgsy-grris.nic.in.
Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY) was launched as a one-time special intervention to provide rural connectivity, by way of a single all-weather road, to the eligible unconnected habitations in the core network for uplifting the socio-economic condition of the rural population. Since inception till date (15.03.2023), a total of 8,06,681 km road length (1,85,667 roads & 10,549 bridges) has been sanctioned under various verticals of the PMGSY, out of which 7,29,221 km road length has already been completed (1,74,423 roads & 7,912 bridges).
Various impact assessment studies that have been carried out by Independent Agencies have concluded that PMGSY has helped in better access of marketplace for the rural masses and generated employment in various forms. It has also helped in improving socio-economic condition of people living around the area. Thus, it has helped in removing poverty and unemployment. The scheme has impacted agriculture, health, education, urbanization and employment generation in a big way.
99,319 km of road length have been sanctioned so far under PMGSY –III, out of which 64,331 km of road length has been sanctioned using new/ green technology. Out of which 64,331 km road length, 18,983 km road length has been completed. New / Green technology economizes construction cost of road as well as facilitates effective disposal of different industrial and municipal waste along with conserving use of virgin mining materials. It also enhances the execution capacities and reduces the construction period in road and bridge works.
15-Mar-2023: The Green National Highway Corridor Project to be implemented in four states with financial assistance of World Bank
The Government of India and the World Bank have signed an agreement for the construction of Green National Highway Corridors Project (GNHCP) in an aggregate length of 781 km in the states of Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, with loan assistance of US $ 500 million against total project cost of US $ 1288.24 million (Rs. 7,662.47 crore). The objective of the GNHCP is to demonstrate safe and green highway keeping in view climate resilience and use of green technologies by incorporating the provisions of conservation of natural resources using cement treated sub base/reclaimed asphalt pavement, use of local/ marginal material such as lime, fly ash, waste plastic, bio-engineering measures for slope protection such as hydroseeding, coco/jute fibre etc., which will enhance the ability of Ministry to bring Green technologies into the mainstream.