Rajasthan gets Rs 90 cr from Centre for its roads

The Union Ministry of Rural Development has released Rs 90 crore in the first installment for Phase VI of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) to Rajasthan Rural Road Development Authority (RRRDA), which is the autonomous agency for receiving funds under the programme.

The PMGSY aims to provide all-weather basic access to about 1.72 lakh habitations of population of 500 or more (250 or more in hill states including the North-East, desert terrains and tribal areas.).

The roads are constructed to high technical standards and backed by 5-year maintenance contract. The construction cost is fully borne by the Union while the state governments are responsible for providing maintenance funds.

Meanwhile, the state government has decided to spend Rs 325 crore on improving and strengthening the roads in this financial year.

"Roads which were made after 1966 would come in for upgrade under this project," Rajasthan's public works department minister Rajendra Singh Rathore said. He said initially 1500 km of such roads would be repaired under this plan.

The minister said all the state highways that passed through the villages would be cemented and a sum of Rs 100 crore had been earmarked for this purpose.

Rathore said under the Union government's directives, the repair works of the state highways were undertaken between six to eight years. The state government would also take up the issue of maintenance of border roads falling in the state with the defence ministry.