PMGSY Scheme Transforming the Picture and Destiny of Rural Areas: Anurag Singh Thakur

Himachal Pradesh (The Uttam Hindu): Former Union Minister and Member of Parliament from Hamirpur Lok Sabha constituency, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur, met with Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Delhi and requested the construction of roads in rural areas of Himachal Pradesh under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). Shri Anurag Singh Thakur said, “Good roads are the foundation of development in any region, and Honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi believes that the goal of a developed India is incomplete without the development of rural areas. Today, I met with the Union Agriculture Minister, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and presented before him the demand for road construction under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) for various rural areas of Himachal Pradesh. The PMGSY scheme has transformed the landscape and destiny of rural areas.

Prime Minister Modi believes that roads are not just a means of transportation, but a path to prosperity, and keeping this in mind, the Union Cabinet has approved the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana-IV (PMGSY-IV) for the period 2024-25 to 2028-29, which aims to enhance rural connectivity by constructing 62,500 kilometers of new all-weather roads, with a total financial outlay of Rs. 70,125 crore. The objective is to provide all-weather road connectivity to 25,000 rural habitations that are currently without road access, based on the 2011 population criteria. These new roads built under PMGSY will accelerate socio-economic development in remote rural areas and improve access to education, healthcare, markets, and development centers. The scheme also aims to generate 40 crore person-days of employment.”

Shri Anurag Singh Thakur further added, “Former Prime Minister, the revered Atal Ji, launched PMGSY in 2000 with the vision of providing all-weather road connectivity to habitations located in rural areas. Modi Ji has carried forward this vision of Atal Ji. Under the various phases of the PMGSY scheme, from its inception until now, a total of 8,25,114 kilometers of rural roads have been sanctioned, of which 7,87,520 kilometers have been completed by December 2025, representing approximately 95 percent physical progress. So far, approximately 180,000 habitations have been connected under this scheme.”