The Centre has announced a host of initiatives for the rural areas, a day after claiming that a rise in demand for MNREGA workers does not necessarily indicate rural distress. The announcement of ₹2.66 lakh crore allocation only for rural development includes the launch of Phase IV of the flagship Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).

The current year allocation for PMGSY, a scheme started during Vajpayee’s term in government and considered to be one of the most significant major reforms in rural infrastructure development, has been set at ₹16,100 crore. This is higher than the revised estimate of ₹14,800 crore in 2023-24.

It has been announced that Phase 4 of the PMGSY will provide all-weather connectivity to 25,000 rural habitations. Since the scheme’s launch in 2000, as many as 1,80,319 projects have been completed covering 7,65,472 km while 8,393 projects are still under progress.

Unique identification

The government has also proposed a unique identification number for land or ‘Bhu-Aadhaar’ in rural areas projecting it as a major land reform initiative. “The Centre would work with states to carry out these land reforms, both in rural and urban areas. The government would provide fiscal support to incentivise states to complete these reforms within the next three years,” the finance minister said.

On rural land-related actions, she said these would include the implementation of Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN) or Bhu-Aadhaar for all lands, digitisation of cadastral maps, a survey of map sub-divisions as per current ownership; establishment of the land registry; and linking to the farmers’ registry. “These actions will also facilitate credit flow and other agricultural services,” she added.

New housing

She also said that three crore additional houses will be constructed under the PM Awas Yojana in both rural and urban areas, which was a promise made in BJP’s election manifesto. It is assumed that the government will help build 2 crore houses in rural areas over the next five years as the minister mentioned there is a plan to help 1 crore families in urban areas over the next five years to build their houses.

The allocation under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (PMAY) - Rural has been substantially hiked to ₹54,500 crore from a revised estimate of ₹32,000 crore in FY24. However, there are no other details available about it, unlike the PMAY-Urban on which the Centre will spend ₹2.2 lakh crore over next five years, according the minister.

She also said that fast-tracking the growth of our rural economy and the generation of employment opportunities on a large scale will be the goal when the cooperation policy will be unveiled, which is expected to be soon.

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