The Union Finance Minister in his Budget Speech for the year 2018-19 announced that “Task of connecting all eligible habitations with an all-weather road has been substantially completed, with the target date brought forward to March, 2019 from March 2022. It is now time to strengthen and widen its ambit further to include major link routes which connect habitations to agricultural and rural markets (GrAMs), higher secondary schools and hospitals. Prime Minister Gram Sadak Yojana Phase-III will include such linkages”. The Ministry of Rural Development has accordingly moved a proposal for approval of the competent authority.
As per the programme guidelines of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), the priorities of elected representatives including Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of Legislative Assemblies are expected to be duly taken into account and give full consideration while finalizing District Rural Roads Plan (DRRP) and Core Network (CN). The PMGSY guidelines stipulate that a copy of the Comprehensive New Connectivity Priority List (CNCPL)/Comprehensive Upgradation Priority List (CUPL) are to be sent to the concerned Member of Parliament by the Programme Implementing Units (PIUs) seeking their suggestions for the annual proposals and the MPs are to be provided at least 15 days time to submit their suggestions. The Programme guidelines further stipulate that the proposal of the Hon’ble Member of Parliament is required to be given fully consideration in the District Panchayat during the finalization of annual proposals under PMGSY. In this regard, the Members of Lok Sabha are to be consulted in respect of their Parliamentary constituencies and Members of Parliament from Rajya Sabha are to be consulted in respect of the District of the State they represent, for which they have been nominated as co-Chairman of the District Vigilance & Monitoring Committee of the Ministry of Rural Development.
The Ministry of Rural Development has time and again advised all the State Governments to strictly comply with the relevant provisions stipulated in the programme guidelines on the role of Member of Parliament and other elected representatives in planning and implementation of PMGSY works.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Rural Development, Shri Ram Kripal Yadav in Lok Sabha today.
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