Lok Sabha Question No. 3816 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-21
Subject: Rural Roads in West  Bengal
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Sukanta Majumdar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## LOK  SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3816 ANSWERED ON 21/12/2021

## RURAL ROADS IN WEST BENGAL

## 3816.   DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the names of schemes and the total budget allocated under schemes for the development of rural roads in West Bengal during the last five years, districtwise including North Dinajpur and South Dinajpur districts; and
- (b) the details of the roads constructed so far and the length (in km.) of rural roads constructed, districtwise including of North Dinajpur and South Dinajpur districts?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SADHVI NIRANJAN JYOTI)

(a)   Pradhan  Mantri  Gram  Sadak  Yojna  (PMGSY-I)  was  launched  as  a  one-time  special intervention to provide rural connectivity, by way of a single all-weather road, to the eligible unconnected  habitations  of  designated  population  size  (500+  in  plain  areas  and  250+  in North-Eastern States, Himalayan States and Himalayan Union Territories as per 2001 census) in  the  core  network  for  uplifting  the  socio-economic  condition  of  the  rural  population. Relaxation has been provided to the Desert Areas (as identified in the Desert Development Programme), the Tribal (Schedule V) areas and Selected Tribal and Backward Districts (as identified  by  the  Ministry  of  Home  Affairs  and  Planning  Commission)  and  unconnected habitations in these areas with a population of 250 persons and above in the Core Network as per  Census  2001  are  eligible  for  connectivity  under  the  scheme.  In  the  critical  Left  Wing Extremism affected blocks (as identified by Ministry of Home Affairs), additional relaxation has been given to connect habitations with population 100 persons and above as per 2001 census.

As the programme unfolded, a need was felt for consolidation of the existing Rural Road Network to improve its efficiency not only as a provider of transportation services, but also as a vehicle of social and economic development. Accordingly, in the year 2013, PMGSYII was  launched  for  upgradation  of  selected  Through  Routes  and  Major  Rural  Links (MRLs) with a target to upgrade 50,000 Km in various States and Union Territories.

Subsequently,  in  2016,  Road  Connectivity  Project  for  Left  Wing  Extremism  (LWE) Affected Areas (RCPLWEA) for construction/upgradation of strategically important roads was launched in the 9 LWE affected states, as a separate vertical under PMGSY.

In  the  year  2019,  Government  launched PMGSY-III for  consolidation  of  1,25,000  Km Through  Routes  and  Major  Rural  Links  connecting  habitations,  inter-alia,  to  Gramin Agricultural Markets (GrAMs), Higher Secondary Schools and Hospitals.

Currently, works under PMGSY-I and II are going on in the State of West Bengal. The funds for the implementation of the scheme are released by the Ministry to the State as a whole. The release of funds to the State for implementation of PMGSY is done on the basis of the proposal  received  from  the  State  and  depends,  inter-alia,  on  works  in  hand,  execution capacity of the State and unspent funds available with the State. During the last five years details of fund released to the State of West Bengal is as given below:-

| Year                       |   Central share of fund released (Rs. in crore) |
|----------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
| 2016-17                    |                                          819.18 |
| 2017-18                    |                                         1058.35 |
| 2018-19                    |                                         1426.98 |
| 2019-20                    |                                          348.25 |
| 2020-21                    |                                          969.31 |
| 2021-22 (as on 15.12.2021) |                                            0    |
| Total                      |                                         4622.07 |

District-wise  expenditure  (including  state  share)  during  the  last  five  years  and  the  current year is given in Annexure.

(b)       So far, 6,883 nos. of roads of 36,025 Km length have been constructed in the State of West Bengal. District-wise details are given in Annexure.

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ANNEXURE Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) & (b) of the LSUQ-3816 due for reply on 21.12.2021

District-wise details of number of roads and road length completed, and expenditure

## (including state share) under PMGSY in West Bengal

| Sr.No.   | District Name     | No of Road Work completed   | Road Length Completed (in Km)   | Expenditure till date (Rs. in crore)   | Expenditure from 2016-17 till date (15 Dec, 2021) (Rs. in crore)   |
|----------|-------------------|-----------------------------|---------------------------------|----------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1        | Bankura           | 682                         | 3,290                           | 1,262.51                               | 577.02                                                             |
| 2        | Birbhum           | 351                         | 2,297                           | 882.63                                 | 439.27                                                             |
| 3        | Cooch-Behar       | 385                         | 1,325                           | 506.73                                 | 263.37                                                             |
| 4        | Dakshin Dinajpur  | 249                         | 1,003                           | 440.89                                 | 130.05                                                             |
| 5        | Darjeeling        | 246                         | 1,326                           | 929.77                                 | 504.01                                                             |
| 6        | Hooghly           | 338                         | 1,524                           | 666.21                                 | 338.42                                                             |
| 7        | Howrah            | 325                         | 1,264                           | 641.81                                 | 415.03                                                             |
| 8        | Jalpaiguri        | 166                         | 1,020                           | 404.38                                 | 219.49                                                             |
| 9        | Maldah            | 180                         | 1,462                           | 574.32                                 | 290.91                                                             |
| 10       | Murshidabad       | 422                         | 2,194                           | 930.32                                 | 255.95                                                             |
| 11       | Nadia             | 252                         | 1,773                           | 764.36                                 | 361.67                                                             |
| 12       | North 24 Parganas | 424                         | 2,148                           | 1,001.16                               | 336.97                                                             |
| 13       | Paschim Medinipur | 722                         | 3,796                           | 1,995.77                               | 1,141.79                                                           |
| 14       | Purba Medinipur   | 204                         | 1,380                           | 665.69                                 | 311.10                                                             |
| 15       | Purulia           | 430                         | 2,371                           | 752.86                                 | 374.07                                                             |
| 16       | Siliguri M.P.     | 96                          | 385                             | 122.95                                 | 51.00                                                              |
| 17       | South 24-Parganas | 290                         | 1,701                           | 878.44                                 | 507.22                                                             |
| 18       | Uttardinajpur     | 344                         | 1,506                           | 614.32                                 | 172.56                                                             |
| 19       | Alipurduar        | 121                         | 807                             | 286.6                                  | 177.52                                                             |
| 20       | Purba Burdwan     | 257                         | 1,433                           | 554.69                                 | 256.26                                                             |
| 21       | Paschim Burdwan   | 70                          | 294                             | 105.53                                 | 55.90                                                              |
| 22       | Jhargram          | 329                         | 1,727                           | 817.76                                 | 498.93                                                             |
| TOTAL    | TOTAL             | 6,883                       | 36,025                          | 15,799.71                              | 7,678.52                                                           |

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