Rural Devp Ministry to review specifications of PMGSY

Rural Development Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh today said his Ministry will revisit the specifications, standards and guidelines of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) for reducing cost in construction of rural roads.
He said, by rescheduling the entire fixation of PMGSY, a lot of funds could be saved to build more roads in the rural areas and noted that 14 per cent administrative expenses is too much in the overall budget.
Singh also suggested that states should bear the burden for maintenance of roads as there is a dedicated machinery in each state to undertake such works.
It is to be noted that under PMGSY-II, 50,000 kilometres of roads will be upgraded with full central funding. He was speaking here on the occasion of Good Governance Day, which the Rural Development Ministry has decided to celebrate as 'PMGSY Divas'.

The Minister said this year Rs 14,000 crore will be spent for providing road connectivity in the rural areas, which will facilitate poverty reduction on a large-scale.
Singh said that two-third of the habitations in the country have already been covered by PMGSY and also emphasised that all efforts will be made to take the scheme in the remotest corner of the country.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister of State for Rural Development Sudarshan Bhagat said so far more than 1,03,000 villages had been connected by this scheme and rural roads measuring more than 4,16,000 kilometres had been built.
He said in the coming days focus will be to build roads in the 88 most backward districts of the country identified by the Planning Commission and the Home Ministry.

In his address, Rural Development Secretary L C Goyal said accountability, transparency and efficiency are the three key pillars of the PMGSY.
Earlier, Birender Singh launched a new module on citizens complaint on programme software OMMAS, and released standard data book and journal "Grameen Sampark".