Govt to launch transportation scheme for rural areas

Aiming to revitalise the rural transport system, the Rural Development Ministry will circulate a Cabinet note this month on proposed Pradhan Mantri Gram Parivahan Yojana, to provide 80,000 commercial passenger vehicles in the villages at a subsidised cost.
The government is considering providing 10-12 seater passenger vehicles at subsidised rates to retired defence personnel and women self-help groups in villages, a source said.
The scheme will be on the lines of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. Roads in most of the rural areas have been constructed but there is shortage of transport facilities, the source said.
As a result, often people in rural and remote areas have to walk few miles before they get tranpot facility.

Therefore, the Rural Development Ministry has prepared a draft of Pradhan Mantri Gram Parivahan Yojana to provide transport facilities in these areas, the source added.
A survey was carried out in rural areas of Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, to study the feasibility of this scheme.
As per its findings, it would be remunerative to provide the 10-12 seater commercial vehicles at subsidised rates on a stretch of 20-22 km which connects at least 10-14 small villages, according to the source.
In the last financial year, the rural development ministry had constructed 36,000 km of road in rural areas, and has fixed a target of 48,000 km for the current fiscal.