Budget 2022: Allocation to rural roads construction raised by 36 pc to Rs 19,000 crore

New Delhi, Feb 1: Allocation to the rural roads construction scheme PMGSY raised by 36 per cent to Rs 19,000 crore for the fiscal year 2022-23 from revenue estimate last year, whereas the total allocation to all centrally sponsored schemes under the rural development ministry dipped around 11 per cent in the budget presented on Tuesday.

The total allocation to centrally sponsored schemes under the Rural Development Ministry including MGNREGA, declined to Rs 1,35,944.29 crore for the year 2022-23 from Rs 1,53,558.07 crore, the revised estimate of the financial year 2021-22.

The allocation to Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), the rural roads construction scheme, in the budget for the year 2022-23 was raised by whopping 36 per cent to Rs 19,000 crore, from Rs 14,000 crore, the revised estimate, which is actually an expected expenditure to be incurred, for the year 2021-22.

Special focus in the PMGSY has been given to construction of roads in left wing extremist affected areas and north-eastern states, as the allocation to both these components of the rural roads construction schemes was substantially raised for the budget 2022-23 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday.

The allocation to other flagship scheme, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) was also slightly raised by 2.5 per cent to Rs 20,000 crore in the budget as compared to Rs 19,500 crore in 2021-22.

Allocations to various other schemes under the centrally sponsored schemes such as Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme and Annapurna Scheme were also raised in the budget. PTI