Chennai, June 29 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu government has sanctioned the development of 20,000 km of rural roads for Rs 8,000 crore under the Mudalvarin Grama Saalaigal Membattu Thittam (MGSMT), the Chief Minister’s Rural Roads Development Scheme.

According to a state government release highlighting the achievements of the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin approved the improvement of 20,000 km of rural roads under the scheme. So far, 9,690 projects covering 12,572 km have been completed at an estimated cost of Rs 4,609 crore.

Work on another 6,671 km of roads is underway at a cost of Rs 3,529 crore under the scheme, which was launched in 2022-23.

Meanwhile, under the Kalaignarin Kanavu Illam Scheme — launched with the goal of creating a hut-free Tamil Nadu by 2030 — the state government has sanctioned Rs 7,000 crore to build two lakh houses within two years.

Of these, 72,081 houses have been completed, with the remaining at various stages of construction. The scheme also provides for bank loans of up to Rs one lakh for beneficiaries in need of additional support.

For the repair of rural houses built under various government schemes prior to 2000-01, the government has allocated Rs 1,041.32 crore in 2024-25 to renovate 1.48 lakh houses.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), implemented with 60 per cent funding from the Union government and 40 per cent from the state, around 4,182 km of 947 roads and 83 new bridges have been taken up at an estimated cost of Rs 3,061 crore.

In addition, over 500 km of 283 roads and 308 bridges have been completed for Rs 1,182 crore under the NABARD Rural Infrastructure Development Fund.

The government has also undertaken renovation works at Periyar Memorial Samathuvarpurams at a cost of Rs 261 crore. Further, development works have been carried out in 10,187 village panchayats under the Anaithu Grama Anna Marumalarchi Thittam, with an allocation of Rs 4,277 crore.

–IANS

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