Lok Sabha Question No. 3088 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-20
Subject: Small Villages in Meghalaya
Ministry: DEVELOPMENT OF NORTH EASTERN REGION
Asked by: Hemant Patil

## Government of India Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No.  3088

To be answered on Monday, March 20, 2023/Phalguna 29, 1944 (Saka)

## QUESTION

## Small Villages in Meghalaya

†3088. SHRI HEMANT SRIRAM PATIL:

Will the Minister of DEVELOPMENT OF NORTH EASTERN REGION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken note that Meghalaya has very small villages with only a few hundred people living therein;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  number  of  such  villages  which  are  yet  to  be connected with roads due to which people have to walk for miles to reach cities;
- (c) the  number  of  villages  in  the  Parliamentary  Constituencies  of  Hingoli,  Nanded and Yavatmal in Maharashtra which are not yet connected with markets and because of this the rural goods are deprived of market benefits; and the steps taken/being taken by the Government to remove these hindrances and
- (d) to facilitate the tribal people living in these villages?

## ANSWER

## The Minister  of the  Ministry of  Development of North Eastern Region [Shri G. Kishan Reddy ]

(a) to (d)The Ministry of Rural Development launched Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) 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 (250 & above, in case of North Eastern States as per 2001 Census) in the core network for uplifting the  socio-economic  condition  of  the  rural  population  including  those  in  Meghalaya  and Maharashtra.  Relaxation has been provided to the Tribal (Scheduled V) areas and Selected

Tribal and Backward Districts (as identified by the Ministry of Home Affairs and NITI Aayog) 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. PMGSY is not an individual/community centric scheme.  The roads constructed under PMGSY cater to all strata of the society including dispersed habitations meaning a cluster of population living in an area, the location of which does not change over time.  Nevertheless, Scheduled Tribes areas have got specific focus in the scheme by giving special dispensation. Under PMGSY Parliamentary Constituency wise data is not maintained.  The details of PMGSY  achievements  in  Meghalaya,  Maharashtra  and  districts  of  Hingoli,  Nanded  and Yavatmal since inception is at Annexure-I. Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) supplements the efforts of the State Government and line Ministries of Central Government to provide connectivity in NER including  providing road accessibility  to  remote  areas  which  helps facilitate  the  tribal people residing in small and remote villages. Total length of roads sanctioned under the main Schemes of MDoNER namely - North East  Road  Sector  Development  Scheme  (NERSDS)  and  North  East  Special  Infrastructure Development  Scheme  (NESIDS)  implemented  either  directly  or  through  North  Eastern Council (NEC), during the last 3 years in the State of Meghalaya is 169.51 km.

Department of Border Management, Ministry of Home Affairs has also undertaken 992 projects  in  NER,  including  Meghalaya,  under  'Road  &  Bridges'  sector,  from  2014-15 onwards.

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## Annexure referred to in reply to Part (a) to (d) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3088

Details of  habitations  connected  and  road  length  completed  in  Meghalaya  and Maharashtra as well as in Hingoli, Nanded and Yavatmal districts of Maharashtra since inception till 14.03.2023 :-

| State/District                    | Total Habitations to be connected (nos)   | Habitations connected (nos)       | Length of road constructed (km)   |
|-----------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
| Meghalaya                         | 602                                       | 489                               | 4,147                             |
| Maharashtra                       | 1,421                                     | 1,414                             | 27,485                            |
| Maharashtra Districts information | Maharashtra Districts information         | Maharashtra Districts information | Maharashtra Districts information |
| Hingoli                           | 28                                        | 28                                | 520                               |
| Nanded                            | 14                                        | 14                                | 721                               |
| Yavatmal                          | 19                                        | 19                                | 1,098                             |