Rural Road Construction Surges To Hit 47,400-Km Milestone

Construction of rural roads has gathered pace in the last three years with about 12,000 kilometres (km) added to the targeted length of approximately 57,000 km for the year 2017-18.

The length in kilometres of rural roads constructed jumped from approximately 35,000 km in 2015-16 to more than 47,400 km in 2016-17.

With an estimated 68 per cent of India’s population living in rural areas (2011 Census), connecting them with good roads has become an important task for the government. For instance, the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana aims to provide all-weather roads to eligible unconnected habitations.

An unconnected habitation is one with a population of designated size (above 500 in plains, above 250 in hilly areas, desert areas and selected backward and tribal districts) located at a distance from an all-weather road or a connected habitation.