Salute to PMGSY

By Riyaz Arshad Nazish

Apr. 10, 2008

Recently, I happened to visit my native village after more than a decade. I was all set for the journey as this trip has always been exciting for me not because of my birth-place but the adventurous part of it that entailed all through my life. To my surprise, this time there was not at all anything that can be called as exciting. The journey that used to eat up half of the day, quickened to half an hour. As I sit in the car, the child in me became ready for a joyride to my village. Before I could get the momentum, I reached my village. I was shocked and jubilant at the same time. All credit goes to Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY). The convenience of the trip set me to think of the hardship we used to undergo 10-15 years back. ‘Rani’, the name of the hamlet, that is located in Kochadhaman Panchayat under Kishanganj district in Bihar is about 20-25 km away from Kishanganj.

I remember, in my childhood, whenever we planned to visit Rani, there has to be a proper blueprint for our schedule. There was planning going on before a week. With all our paraphernalia we used to reach the local bus stand on time so that we could catch the scheduled bus. My father would inform our village kin beforehand so that they reach Mahadevdighi bus stop with a comfortable bullock cart. As the bus would reach Mahadevdighi chowk, we were over excited to see the bullock cart waiting for us. From Mahadevdighi to Rani, it was around two hour's journey by the bullock cart. The cart used to be well decorated with a pair of healthy cows. Even the cows used to be adorned with colours and mustard oil on their horns that shined. A pair of chime bells would dangle on their necks that would add musical flavor to the journey. There would a comfortable bed in the cart, to sit properly. Once the cart ride started, we children could not help the fit of giggle on even smallest jerk by the potholes of the road. We were scared to cross a river on the cart. Sometimes the water would touch the bed in the cart. The soothing cruise of bullock cart on the earthy roads would set us sleep. Passing through grain fields, village haats, rivers and number greeneries would make this journey a landmark in one’s life. We, the children, used to enjoy, while the elders did nothing but condemned the administration for not paying attention to the rural areas. With their conversation, it seemed utopian to ever see the villages progressed.

Today, I’m relieved to reach my birthplace so quickly but I also regret the fact that my children are missing all that fun we used to have during such trips. It’s really commendable to learn that The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) was launched by the Govt. of India to provide connectivity to unconnected rural habitations as part of poverty-reduction strategy. Government of India is endeavoring to set high and uniform technical and management standards and facilitating policy development and planning at State level in order to ensure sustainable management of the rural roads network. In the first phase, habitations (hamlets) of population of 1000 (500 in the case of Hill States, tribal and desert areas) and above will be covered. In the second phase habitations of population of 500 (250 in the case of Hill States, tribal and desert areas ) will be covered. About 368,000 km of new road construction and 370,000 km of upgradation/renewal is expected to be done at a cost of about $26 billion.

With this connectivity, rural India will get a new life, new hope and head for an extraordinary development. It is better late than never.
 

Return to previous Page