Unconnected Villages To Benefit From PMGSY Scheme

Khushal Singh

The townships in Himachal with a population of less than 250 will be linked with roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). The union government has asked for detailed project report (DPR) in this regard from all states including Himachal Pradesh. This initiative from union government will provide financial help to link scarcely populated townships of Himachal with road network. Notably, there was no such provision to link low populated townships in hills states including Himachal Pradesh with road network under PMGSY. Himachal Pradesh and other hill states were putting in continuous demand to union government to provide relaxation in rules under PMGSY. The hill states have tough geography and therefore have less populated townships. As per present provisions under PMGSY, there is no facility of linking townships with less than 250 population with roads. This impediment has stopped the financial help from union government to link such townships with roads and the state government was not in a good financial health to connect these townships on their own. There are about 7161 townships in Himachal Pradesh with population of less than 250. Out of it about 3,000 townships have been connected with roads. These are the townships that either fall in the way of more crowded townships or are covered under PMGSY by making cluster of two or more townships.

Half Of Villages Deprived Of Road Facility

The political parties in Himachal claims of scaling highest milestones of development. But the ironic truth is that about half of townships of Himachal with less than 250 population have not been connected with road network. Only 58.46% villages of Himachal are connected with roads that despite after seven decades of Indian independence. About 41.53% of villages are still deprived of the metalled roads facility. According to information gathered from Public Works Department (PWD), roads have reached to 10,201 villages out of a total of 17,449 while 7248 villages are still deprived of this facility. Bilaspur has its maximum of villages connected to roads with the percentage of villages connected to road standing at 75.88%. Hamirpur stands at second position with 71.73% of villages connected to roads followed by Kullu at third position with 72% of villages connected to roads. The villages in Kinnaur district are in worst condition in this perspective with only 28.35% of villages connected to roads.

Roads Constrution Target Brought Down To 2019

The union government has asked all the states including Himachal Pradesh to send a detailed project report of townships having population between 100 to 249. The DPRs should be submitted by December, only then they can be cleared in this year. The union government has brought down the target of completing roads construction under PMGSY from 2022 to March 2019.

Figures Says…

District Total Villages    Villages Connected To Road

Bilaspur            962      730

Chamba           1113    554

Hamirpur          1634    1172

Kangra             3614    2385

Kinnaur            233      66

Kullu                   172      125

Lahaul-Spiti      284      127

Mandi                 2823    1634

Shimla                  2515    1111

Sirmaur            966      774

Solan               2378    1142

Una                755      484

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