Staff Reporter
Guwahati: The Union Ministry of Rural Development has announced a major boost to rural connectivity, power supply, drinking water, and housing in Assam under various flagship schemes.
In response to a question raised by MP Rakibul Hussain regarding development works in Assam, Minister of State (MoS) for Rural Development Kamlesh Paswan recently informed the Lok Sabha that since the inception of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) in 2000, Assam has seen 9,269 road works (32,911 km) and 1,466 bridge works sanctioned, of which over 97% have been completed with an expenditure of Rs 22,933.67 crore.
MoS Paswan stated that, under the newly launched PMGSY-IV, 25,000 unconnected habitations across the country, including in Assam, will be provided with all-weather road connectivity based on updated Census 2011 norms. In Assam, preliminary identification of eligible habitations has been completed, and proposals are being finalised with the state government.
The scheme prioritises tribal and marginalised areas through convergence with Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DA-JGUA) and Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana (PM-AJAY).
In the power sector, works worth Rs 3,394.65 crore for distribution infrastructure and Rs 4,049.54 crore for smart metering have been sanctioned under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) in Assam. Additionally, Rs 785.55 crore has been approved for electrification of 1,27,111 households.
As for drinking water, the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) aims to provide tap water to every rural household in Assam, with financial and technical support from the Centre, the MoS stated.
He also said that housing development under Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) has also seen significant progress. Of the target 29,87,868 houses allocated to Assam, 28,80,057 have been sanctioned and 20,74,118 completed. Through convergence with other schemes, 21,25,950 houses have electricity connections, and 16,86,943 have water supply.
The ministry has set strict timelines for project completion-12 to 18 months for road packages and 21 to 24 months for large bridges-and holds regular reviews with states to ensure timely execution.
This multi-scheme convergence is expected to significantly improve connectivity, living standards, and basic amenities across rural Assam.
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