Centre clears ₹292.84 Cr for rural roads in Manipur, bridges in Mizoram
The broader aim is to improve access to healthcare, education, markets & basic services in remote tribal and rural areas;
Representational image.
Guwahati, April 5: In a major push to boost rural connectivity in the Northeast, the Union Ministry of Rural Development, on Saturday, sanctioned road construction projects worth ₹292.84 crore for Manipur and Mizoram under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) and other connectivity initiatives.
These are part of the ₹620.63 crore worth of rural road projects sanctioned by the Ministry of Rural Development across the Northeast, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Odisha, a Ministry statement informed.
As many as 41 rural roads spanning 280.97 km have been approved for Manipur, with an investment of ₹225.15 crore.
These are in addition to the 56 roads (502.24 km) worth ₹404.72 crore already sanctioned in the state under PMGSY-III, the ministry said.
For Mizoram, the Centre has approved the construction of seven long-span bridges measuring 373.46 metres at an estimated cost of ₹67.69 crore.
These complement the earlier sanctioned 17 roads covering 487.50 km with a projected investment of ₹562.70 crore.
The Ministry has also cleared road connectivity projects for Tripura under the connectivity component of the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN).
According to the statement, the broader aim is to improve access to healthcare, education, markets, and basic services in remote tribal and rural areas.
The ministry said that improved connectivity would also help stimulate economic activity, trade, and commerce across the region.
Under PMGSY guidelines, maintenance of rural roads is the responsibility of State/UT governments.
Roads built under the scheme are covered by a five-year maintenance contract signed with the same contractor responsible for construction.
Beyond that, states are required to maintain the roads for an additional five years, aligning with the scheme’s ten-year design life.
To ensure accountability, the Centre has signed MoUs with states and UTs highlighting the importance of long-term road maintenance under PMGSY.
With inputs from Agencies
