Thaindian News

Guwahati, Feb 12 (IANS) A central rural roads scheme would be specially tailored for the northeastern states, where the low population in habitations prevents the launch of new projects, Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh said Sunday.

The ministry is going to add a special dispensation in the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) in the northeastern states in view of their topographical difference with the rest of the country, Ramesh said here.

“The primary objective of the PMGSY is to provide connectivity to unconnected habitations with a population of 250 persons and above. However, the population is below 250 in a majority of the habitations in hilly states of the region,” he said.

In Arunachal Pradesh, the population was less than 250 in 76 percent of the state’s total habitations, he said.

“Nagaland too faces a similar problem. So, we need to add a special dispensation in the PMGSY in the northeastern states for better implementation of the scheme and better road connectivity,” said the minister.

“The PMGSY normally supports construction of bridges up to 50 metre length. If the length of a bridge is above 50 metre, it is not covered under the PMGSY scheme,” he said.

“But in the 78 Naxal-affected districts the PMGSY supports construction of bridges up to 75 metre length,” he said, adding that the construction of bridges up to 100 metre length should be covered under the central scheme in the northeast.

“We are going to examine whether the special dispensation available for the Naxal- affected districts can be incorporated for the northeastern states as well,” he said.