THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Ranchi, September 13: Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today said that the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana has transformed the lives of rural citizens. “Before this scheme, having a paved road to reach the village was just a dream. However, I am pleased to share that due to our Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, approximately 1,63,000 villages have now been connected by roads, and the fourth phase of the scheme is being launched,” he said.
He said that in this phase, around 25,000 new settlements and villages will be connected by all-weather roads, and 62,500 kilometres of roads will be constructed. More than ₹70,000 crore will be spent on building these roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, and the funding has already been arranged. This means that the villagers will now also benefit from having paved roads.
On September 15, the Prime Minister will launch the allocation of 2 crore new homes. In Jharkhand, as part of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, around 20,000 beneficiaries will receive approval letters in Jamshedpur.
Jharkhand govt’s process is slow
“However, work in Jharkhand should have progressed a bit faster. Despite our continuous efforts, the construction of over 1,13,000 homes in the state has not moved as quickly as expected. The state government has completed only the basic formalities needed to issue approval letters and deposit funds into accounts for home construction, but the process has been slow”, he said, adding that “Nonetheless, many beneficiaries will still receive their benefits. The target is to construct 1,13,195 homes, and ₹187.79 crore has already been allocated to Jharkhand for this purpose.”
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Over 6.5 lakh homes constructed in Gujarat in last 10 years
He further said that on September 16, the Prime Minister will visit Gujarat, where over 6,50,000 homes have been constructed in the past 10 years. For the current financial year, Gujarat has been given a target of 54,135 homes, and ₹99.01 crore has already been allocated. The Prime Minister will transfer approximately ₹93 crore into the accounts of 31,000 beneficiaries in the state, and a ceremony will also be held for the entry into 35,000 completed homes.
PM to distribute approval letters to 1 million beneficiaries on Sept 17
He also informed that on September 17, the Prime Minister will host a national-level event in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, where he will distribute approval letters to 1 million beneficiaries across the country, excluding four states—Jharkhand, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, and Gujarat—due to upcoming elections in these states. Additionally, the Prime Minister will digitally transfer the first instalment of ₹3,180 crore directly into the beneficiaries’ accounts.
Awas Plus 24 app to be launched
He further stated that apart from the 2018 Awas Plus list, information and requests have been received from several states indicating that many eligible beneficiaries have been left out. In response, the Prime Minister will also unveil the Awas Plus 24 app, aimed at identifying and including these overlooked beneficiaries to ensure they receive allocated permanent homes.
