On 4th November 2024, Minister of State for Railways, Shri Ravneet Singh Bittu, addressed journalists in Parliament and highlighted the government's efforts to transform the lives of people through jobs, housing, and connectivity. He focused on the significant progress and financial allocations made under key rural development schemes, including Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), and Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).

Fund Allocation and Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme
Shri Ravneet Singh Bittu emphasized that MGNREGA is one of the most important schemes, as it not only provides money and employment but also allows people to work without leaving their homes. The allocation for MGNREGA has increased substantially, from ₹11,300 crore in 2006-07 to ₹86,000 crore. The total funds allocated so far have reached ₹9,85,622 crore, nearly ₹10 lakh crore. For 2024, ₹46,907 crore has been allocated to the states. Additionally, the previously cumbersome process of obtaining job cards has been streamlined, reducing the number of required registrations from 22 to a simpler process.

PM Awas Yojana has Achieved Remarkable Success
Bittu also discussed the success of the PM Awas Yojana over the last 10 years, with more than 3 crore rural houses constructed—averaging 10,000 houses per day. This scheme not only provides housing but also generates employment and offers training, with 3 lakh individuals trained so far. Furthermore, the time to construct a house has been reduced from 314 days to just 114 days, reflecting the efficiency brought about under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi.

PM Gram Sadak Yojana
Another key initiative, PM Gram Sadak Yojana, has played a vital role in rural development by constructing roads. As of now, a total of 8,34,457 km of roads have been sanctioned, with 7,69,178 km of roads already constructed. Between 9th June 2024 and 2nd December 2024, 315 km of roads were constructed.

North-East Villages Gain Connectivity
In the North-East, Prime Minister Modi has shown significant concern for rural connectivity. Roads under PMGSY have been constructed for villages in Naxal-affected areas with populations as small as 100, and for non-Naxal-affected areas with populations exceeding 250.

The Minister concluded by mentioning the substantial budget allocated to these schemes and assured that other initiatives would be discussed in the future.

Source/PIB&RSB