Bengal govt constructed 6,534 km of new rural roads in FY 2024-25: Minister

Kolkata, Mar 13 (PTI) The West Bengal government has laid 6,534 km of new rural roads across the state in the 2024-25 financial year, Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Pradip Majumdar informed the assembly on Thursday.

Majumdar said that the rural roads have been constructed till December 31, 2024 at a cost of Rs 2,092.75 crore.

He said Rs 1,500 crore will be required for the construction of rural roads in the 2025-26 financial year under the state government's Pathashree scheme.

Pathashree scheme was launched in 2022 to improve rural connectivity, under which new roads are constructed and existing roads upgraded entirely out of state budgetary allocation.

Majumdar said that in the absence of central share under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G), the state has introduced a new rural housing scheme, 'Banglar Bari' (Gramin), fully funded by the state government for constructing pucca houses.

He said 12 lakh deserving families will be provided with financial assistance of Rs 60,000 each in two equal instalments for the construction of pucca houses under 'Banglar Bari' (Gramin) in the current fiscal.

"For this, approximately Rs 14,400 crore state fund is required. Out of that, Rs 7,200 crore has already been sanctioned," he said.

The first instalment at Rs 60,000 is being released from December 17, 2024 when Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the scheme. In the next financial year 2025-26, an allocation of Rs 15,456.70 crore is being proposed for the scheme, the minister said.

The minister, along with Ministers of State Becharam Manna and Seuli Saha, tabled a proposal for spending a total of Rs 44,128.68 crore under various heads for the Department of Panchayat and Rural Development for the financial year 2025-26. It was passed by voice vote. PTI SUS ACD