2020-21 performance likely to break previous records
Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Sept 20: Jammu and Kashmir has registered best performance among all the States and Union Territories in achieving physical progress of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) since June 15, 2020 after the Unlock- I was announced to relax the restrictions enforced on construction activities in view of COVID-19 pandemic.
As on September 19, J&K Union Territory has completed more than one thousand kilometers of road length, which is 13.57 percent of the target length and maximum among the achieved physical progress by all 31 States and Union Territories of India, this year.
Official sources told the Excelsior that against the target of 7,500 kms road length and linking 327 habitations during the financial year 2020-21, the Jammu and Kashmir Rural Road Authority (JKRRA) has so far completed 1,018.43 kms road length and connected 25 inhabitants.
The so far progress indicates that in 2020-21, Jammu and Kashmir is all set to break previous records of maximum performance in PMGSY, which had been 1800 km during the financial year 2015-16, sources added.
The achieved physical progress in three months includes 479.979 kms road length in Jammu division and 538.305 kms in Kashmir division. Doda district in Jammu Division and Anantnag district in Kashmir have registered maximum progress, which is 112.935 kms and 119.850 kms, respectively.
In respect of physical progress in Jammu division, Doda district is followed by Rajouri (89.17 kms), Udhampur (75.045 kms), Reasi (43.485 kms), Kathua (39.365 kms), Poonch (34.200 kms), Jammu (29.791 kms), Ramban (29.345 kms), Kishtwar (17.270 kms) and Samba (9.373 kms).
Similarly in Kashmir division, Anantnag district is followed by Baramulla ( 78.175 kms), Budgam (73.230 kms), Kupwara (67.650kms), Shopian ( 48.540 kms), Bandipora (41.980 kms), Pulwama (40.230 kms), Kulgam (39.050 kms), Ganderbal (25.9 kms), and Srinagar (3.7 kms).
Hence, completed road length under PMGSY in Srinagar during the current financial year is minimum among all the districts in Union Territory and as per the official data, available with the Excelsior, zero physical progress was achieved in Srinagar district in the month of September till date.
While some districts achieved good physical progress in the month of September, some others did well in previous months. Jammu district too registered the achievement of 1.141 kms road length only this month till September 19 whereas 28.65 kms road length was laid from June 15 to August 31.
Pertinent to mention that maximum performance of J&K in PMGSY had been 1800 km road length during the financial year 2015-16. In 2016-17, 1738 kms road length was achieved and 235 habitations were connected by completing 84 schemes with an expenditure of Rs 399.68 crores while in 2017-18, 1757 kms road length was achieved by completing 151 schemes and connecting 140 habitations with an expenditure of Rs 902.12 crores.
Similarly in 218-19, 226 schemes were completed and 216 habitations were connected while 1559 kms of road length was achieved by spending Rs 1069.39 crores. In 2019-20, 189 schemes were completed and 146 habitations were connected while road length of 1169.94 kms was achieved with an expenditure of Rs 1168.93 crores.
During the last five years, total 5144.46 kms road length was achieved and 574 habitations were connected in Jammu division by spending Rs 2619.50 crores while in Kashmir, 1840.58 kms road length was achieved and 184 habitations were connected by spending Rs 1187.64 crores.
Hence, Jammu division achieved 73.65 percent target in respect of road length and 75.73 percent in respect of connecting habitations by spending 68.80 percent allocation while Kashmir division achieved only 25.35 percent target in respect of road length and 24.23 percent of connecting habitations but spent 31.20 percent of the allocation.
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