Srinagar, Feb 05 (KNO): The Jammu and Kashmir government said significant progress has been achieved in rural connectivity initiatives aimed at linking every village across the Union Territory.
As part of ongoing efforts to bolster rural infrastructure, data shared by the government on Thursday in J&K Assembly reveals extensive achievements under various flagship schemes, including PMGSY, RIDF, and CRIF, connecting thousands of habitations with all-weather roads and bridges.
The data accessed by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) shows the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) has connected 2,132 habitations and completed 19,518 km of rural roads by March 2025.
It also shows that Phase IV will connect 2,500 additional unconnected habitations.
Rural bridges and roads funded via the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) include 1,161 projects sanctioned since 2019-20 (Rs 5,271 crore), with 2,387 km of roads completed during 2020–25.
Under the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF), the data shows 83 projects worth Rs 1,376 crore have been completed since 2020-21, including 22 projects finalised in 2024–25.
A total of 320 bridges completed between 2020-25, costing Rs 1,046 crore, have enhanced accessibility across rivers and difficult terrain.
According to data, road safety audits, black-spot rectification and winter resilience measures have been implemented, including snow clearance over 35,872 km of roads with more than 1,000 machines, ensuring uninterrupted rural connectivity.
These initiatives are expected to strengthen agriculture, trade, healthcare, education and local employment, making rural roads a central pillar of inclusive growth in Jammu & Kashmir—(KNO)