Rural Ministry likely to change road norms in Karnataka villages

NEW DELHI: Rural Development Ministry is likely to change the norms for providing road connectivity in remote Karnataka villages in Western Ghats under the Centre's rural road scheme.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had asked Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh to consider the demand made by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Siddaramaiah had said that "hilly areas" identified under the the Western Ghats Development Programme in the state should be treated on par with the hilly states to extend the benefit of providing all weather road connectivity to the habitations with population between 250 to 499 under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.

If the Ministry approves the demand, nearly 3602 habitations having population between 250 to 499 in state's 40 blocks under WGDP will be connected with proper road communication as envisaged in PMGSY.

"We are considering the proposal," a Ministry official said.

PMGSY provides for "all weather road" connection to unconnected habitations with a population of 500 and above in plain areas and 250 above in hilly states.