Maharashtra to have its own 'sadak yojana'

After launching the Jalyukta Shivaar Abhiyaan and an initiative for development of Mumbai Metropolitan Region, the state government plans to launch the Mukhyamantri Gram Sadak Yojana (MMGSY) on the lines Pradhanmantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).

Minister for rural development Pankaja Munde informed that the scheme aims at connecting rural parts of the state by increasing the scope of Union government's PMGSY. She said while the central scheme has embarked upon joining the villages with a population of 500 with the pucca sadak, the state government would take the roads to small villages with a population of 300.

Munde added that the cabinet note for this scheme was being prepared and soon it would be put before the state cabinet for approval. She also informed that there would be a separate criterion for selecting the villages for this scheme and it would boost the rural infrastructure, which in turn would help in effectively implementing other welfare schemes.

She further said that the work for building roads in rural areas has been undertaken during 1980-85 and 1985-90, but there are many roads which still exist on paper. The state, she said, would undertake the Mukhyamantri Gram Sadak Yojana as another important scheme and show that the government is serious in its intentions and actions.