Overhaul of rural roads scheme likely after polls; proposal part of govt's Viksit Bharat by 2047 plan

The government is planning to overhaul its flagship rural roads scheme after the general election to further bolster connectivity in the remote areas, spur economic growth and alleviate poverty, people close to the development told ET. This will form part of the government’s ambition to turn India into a developed country by 2047.

Revamping the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) will focus on substantially expanding and upgrading the network of rural roads and linking them with nearby hubs and markets to bolster “productive capacity of the economy and ensure ease of living”, said the people cited above.

“Along with rural housing, rural roads will assume renewed focus in the next term (of the Modi government). The priority will not just be to have roads in every nook and corner of rural India but to go beyond that and link economic, educational, health, social or agriculture centres,” one of the persons said. “These steps are aimed at transforming rural India like never before,” he added.

Already, the interim Budget has announced constructing 20 million houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (Gramin) over five years. PMGSY was introduced by the Vajpayee government in December 2000, with experts calling it a decisive step that has altered the rural economic and social landscape.

Since its launch, 759,689 km of roads have been built under the scheme. Already three versions of the scheme have been rolled out periodically by widening its scope and revamping the implementation method.

Construction of roads identified has been completed above 90% in 18 states, with Goa touching 100%. But in certain hilly and north-eastern states, and UTs, the completion is in the range of 58% to 89%.