By OUR STAFF REPORTER
Dehradun, 24 Dec: Rural Development Minister Ganesh Joshi laid the foundation stone for three road projects (Sahastradhara-Sarona, Suwakhodi-Sarona, and Maldevta-Serki-Silla Motor Road) worth Rs 37 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, in its 25th year, at Sahastradhara in Dehradun. These projects fall under the Mussoorie Assembly constituency. The foundation laying ceremony was held on the eve of the 100th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
On this occasion, Rural Development Minister Ganesh Joshi paid tribute to the late Atal Bihari Vajpayee by offering flowers before his portrait. While paying homage, he acknowledged that the first phase of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) was launched on 25 December 2000. Minister Joshi stated that this scheme was initiated under the visionary leadership of then Prime Minister Vajpayee to connect people in remote areas with the mainstream of development.
He explained that the main objective of PMGSY is to provide rural connectivity to unconnected villages with a designated population and to promote socio-economic empowerment in rural areas. Over the past 24 years, a total of 8,28,000 kilometres of roads have been constructed across the country, with an expenditure of Rs 3,90,000 crore and the construction of 1,88,000 roads.
Minister Joshi further stated that, in Uttarakhand, over 20,274 kilometres of roads have been constructed in the last 24 years, costing Rs 10,373 crore, with the construction of 2,655 roads. He highlighted that during Vajpayee’s tenure, key national projects like PMGSY, the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, the River Linking Project, the victory in the Kargil War, and the Pokhran nuclear tests were initiated.
He added that PMGSY works are being carried out across all 13 districts of Uttarakhand through 52 PIUs (Project Implementation Units). The state has been recognised twice by the Government of India for completing road construction targets. Under the scheme, the target population for rural roads in the plains is 500, while in northeastern states, Himalayan states, desert, and tribal areas, it is 250.
In 2019, PMGSY-3 was launched to connect rural markets, higher secondary schools, and hospitals to major rural roads. Minister Joshi also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami for their support. He instructed the officials to ensure the quality of construction work and complete it within the stipulated time frame. He emphasised that the double-engine government is continuously striving to strengthen basic facilities.
Minister Joshi also highlighted the various schemes implemented through the Horticulture Department in the Sarona Nyay Panchayat area, including the establishment of a 900-square-meter polyhouse, industrialisation on 16 hectares of land, distribution of 80 quintals of potato seeds, and 7 hectares of vegetable seed distribution. The Agriculture Department has also carried out land conservation work, equipment distribution, and construction of rainwater harvesting tanks. He mentioned that over Rs 2.5 crore from the MLA-LAD fund has been allocated for various essential projects in the villages of Sarona Nyay Panchayat area over the past three years.
On this occasion, District Panchayat members Veer Singh Chauhan, Anuj Kaushal, former Pradhan Narayan Singh Rana, Niranjan Dobhal, BDC Dheeraj Thapa, Gram Pradhan Sunita, Chief Engineer of URRDA Sanjay Kumar Pathak, departmental officials, and hundreds of people from Sarona Nyay Panchayat area were also present.
