Centre sanctions projects worth Rs 620 crore for rural roads in northeast, hill states

New Delhi, April 5
The Ministry of Rural Development has sanctioned projects worth Rs 620.63 crore to construct rural roads in the northeastern region, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Odisha to boost economic development in remote areas, according to an official statement issued on Saturday.

An investment of Rs 474.71 crore will be made under the PMGSY-III scheme for rural roads in Manipur, Mizoram, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand States under PMGSY-III.

As many as 41 roads measuring 280.97 km, with an estimated investment of Rs 225.15 crore, have been sanctioned for Manipur. Earlier 56 roads of 502.24 km length with an estimated investment of Rs. 404.72 crore had already been sanctioned in the state under PMGSY-III, the ministry said.

An estimated investment of Rs 67.69 crore has been approved for Mizoram to build 7 long span bridges measuring 373.46 metres. Earlier, 17 roads of 487.50 km length with an estimated investment of Rs 562.70 crore had been sanctioned in the state under PMGSY-III.

Himachal Pradesh will get Rs 140.90 crore under the scheme for constructing 21 long span bridges measuring 970.772-metre length. This comes on top of the 299 roads of 3,123.117 km and 43 long span bridges with an estimated investment of Rs 3,345.82 crore that were earlier sanctioned for the state under PMGSY-III.

Uttarakhand will receive an investment of Rs 40.77 crore to construct 9 long span bridges measuring 246-metre length. The state has already been sanctioned 212 roads of 2,287.95 km and 9 long span bridges with an estimated investment of Rs 1,865.34 crore earlier under the scheme.

The Ministry of Rural Development has also sanctioned projects to Tripura and Odisha under the connectivity component of Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN).

As many as 25 roads measuring 84.352 km have been sanctioned for Odisha with an estimated investment of Rs. 76.47 crore, while 26 roads measuring 63.271 km and 2 long span bridges, with an estimated investment of Rs. 69.65 crore, have been sanctioned for Tripura.

The initiative aims to improve access to essential services like healthcare, education, and markets. It will also enhance connectivity in rural areas, bridging the gap between remote villages and urban centres and foster economic development, trade, and commerce in the region, the ministry explained.