ADB extends $250 Mn loan for 6,254 km long all-weather rural roads in 5 States

NewsBharati    30-Jan-2018
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New Delhi, January 30: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India today signed a $250 million loan to finance the construction of 6,254 kilometres all-weather rural roads in the States of Assam, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal under the Prime Minister’s Rural Roads Program (PMGSY).

The First Tranche Loan is part of the $500 million Second Rural Connectivity Investment Program for India approved by the ADB Board in December 2017. The program is aimed at improving rural connectivity, facilitating safer and more efficient access to livelihood and socio-economic opportunities for rural communities through improvements to about 12,000 kilometresRural Roads across the 5 States.

Speaking on the occasion, Sameer Kumar, Khare, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs said that the ADB-funded investment program will provide continued assistance to the PMGSY and support the Government’s long-term goal for rural development.

He said that the programme is likely to have a transformative impact in terms of rural economy and would also bring in greater efficiency in terms of access and connectivity for the rural people in the five States. Under the project, about 2,000 technical personnel would be imparted training on road safety and maintenance.

The investment program builds on the $800 million ADB-financed first Rural Connectivity Investment Program in 2012 that added about 9,000 kilometres of all-weather rural roads in the same States.

In view of increased rainfall and storm surges in the project States, the road designs will take into account these climate risks with measures such as greater elevation of road embankments, slope protection, and better drainage in flood-prone areas.

Asian Development Bank ADB Loan Prime Minister Rural Roads Program PMGSY Rural Development Assam Chhattisgarh Madhya Pradesh Odisha West Bengal