MADHYA PRADESH LEADS IN IMPLEMENTING PMGSY

New Delhi, 9 October 2006

NEW DELHI, October 10 (INFA): Madhya Pradesh leads the States in implementing the “Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana” (PMGSY) during the first quarter of the current financial year. As many as 2.962 works were completed during the period, involving 941 kms. at a cost of Rs.232 crore. The State is followed by Rajasekhar and U.P. in that order.

Rajasthan has completed around 4015 road works during this period, involving 1628 kms at a cost of over Rs.233 crore, while Uttar Pradesh completed 2453 road works constituting 287 kms length at a cost of about Rs.145 crore.

Other States having performed better in implementing the PMGSY during this period are Chattisgarh (2005 road works completed), Orissa (1494 road works), Andhra Pradesh (1404 road works), Himachal Pradesh (1361 road works) and West Bengal (1220 road works).

A total of 22,891 road works have been completed from April to June this year in 28 States with the construction of 6,563.61 kms of road length at a cost of Rs.1437.9 crore under PMGSY, a 100 per cent centrally-sponsored scheme. 

The PMGSY is part of the Bharat Nirman Programmes launched to provide road connectivity to all villages with a population of one thousand (500 in case of hilly or tribal areas) with all weather roads by 2009. 

During 2005-06, 6414 road works were completed with the construction of 22,785.44 kms at a cost of Rs.4091.66 crore. ---INFA

MASSIVE HOUSING PROGRAMME IN ANDHRA

The Union Government has recently sanctioned a whopping Rs.450 crore for the Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporations for taking up a massive housing programme.

In all, 30,000 houses will be constructed in these two cities under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. While Vijayawada gets Rs.258 crore, the rest will go to Vishakhapatnam. It is learnt that the ventures will be completed by 2008.

Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh Government is also planning to organize a Buddhist Festival across the State to bring the historic and sacred places of Jains to the force.

The week-long festival is likely to be launched in December. The impact of Jainism on Andhra Pradesh is widespread.

A number of structural remains of Jainism are to be found in three or four places of almost each district in the State. Archaeological evidence points out that Jainism had reached the State as early as sixth century B.C.---INFA