Lucknow, November 29: Observing that rural roads would lead to Gandhi's "Gram Swarajya", UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday lamented that the country had to wait for over five decades for the launch of critical rural development schemes like PMGSY till former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee did it in 2001.

The chief minister made the remark while digitally inaugurating and laying foundation stones for the construction of 1,881 stretches of district and village roads totalling 4,095 km for Rs 851 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna and other state schemes.

Terming the rural road construction as key to realising Mahatama Gandhi vision “Gram Swarajya”, the chief minister also batted for the Panchayati Raj empowerment for the country to become self-reliant. Yogi Adityanath Turns Sugarcane into 'Green Gold' in Uttar Pradesh.

"The PMGSY was started by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and it was first implemented in the country in 2001 after five decades of independence,” said Adityanath. “Until then, the rural system of the country, which is the biggest and most powerful medium of the development process, was deprived of the basic facilities," he rued.

If the funds given by the Centre are properly utilised by the Panchayati Raj institutions, the possibilities of development and employment can grow further, he added. If the panchayats become self-reliant, the state, as well as the country, will become self-reliant, providing for a new model of economic independence of the country, he said.

The chief minister made the observations while laying foundation stones or inaugurating 748 roads totalling 2,095 km long in 56 districts for Rs 204 Crore under PMGSY, which is implemented by state PWD and Rural Engineering Department. He also laid foundation stones for the construction of 1,825 roads totalling 2,000 km long by the Panchayati Raj Department for Rs 647 Crore.

"Besides ensuring connectivity to the villages, the Gram Panchayats should also work on issues like interlocking lanes, waterlogging, garbage management, etc. If these issues are genuinely handled, most of the problems in the villages can be solved,” he said. Uttar Pradesh to Have Cold Chain Space for 1.23 Lakh Litres of COVID-19 Vaccine.

The Panchayats should not depend only upon the funding by the government, but should also work for increasing their income and become self-reliant, he added.

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