Modi govt set to announce Rs 70,000-crore rural road building project

The govt is also drawing up an action plan before the Prime Minister's Independence Day speech on August 15 to connect all villages with roads irrespective of the number of people residing in them

Buoyed by the success of its rural roads programme in its first tenure, the Narendra Modi government is set to announce a Rs 70,000 crore road building project over the next five years, linking villages with nearby mandis to boost the rural economy.

Officials said it would involve constructing over 125,000 kilometres of roads  and would form part of the third phase of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).

They added that 40 per cent of the estimated cost would be shared by the state governments and the remainder paid by the Centre. 

“Several villages and rural areas do not have proper