Complete rural electrification by May 2019: Budget 2017
Q. 100 percent village electrification is being targeted by the Budget by?- Published on 03 Feb 17a. May 1, 2018
b. May 1, 2019
c. June 1, 2018
d. July 1, 2018
ANSWER: May 1, 2019
From poverty free Panchayats to 100 per cent electrification of villages by May 2019 and majorly hiking the MNREGA fund, FM Arun Jaitley focused on rural India in the Budget 2017-2018.
In his Budget speech, the FM said that 100 per cent electrification of villages will be achieved by May 1, 2019.
The government has allocated INR 4,843 crore for electrification in financial year 2017-18.
The Finance Minister also announced 24 per cent hike for Rural Agricultural and allied sectors as compared to last year, allocating INR 1,87,223 crore for financial year 2017-18.
Announcing to build one crore houses in rural areas in the next one year, Jaitley allocated INR 23,000 crore for 2017-18 against RINR 15,000 crore allocated last year.
With one crore households live under poverty, the government aims to make 50,000 Gram Panchayats "poverty free" in next year.
133 km of new rural-roads were paved every day in 2016-17 against 73 km per day during 2011-14. FM Jaitley dedicated INR 27,000 crore for rural roads for financial year 2017-18 against INR 19,000 crore last year.
100 per cent targets for roads were achieved in the Left wing extremist areas during the last financial year.
For MGNREGA, Jaitley informed that participation of women in the scheme has increased from 45 per cent to 55 per cent.
The FM announced that budget for MNREGA has been increased to INR 48,000 crore for 2017-18 from INR 36,500 crore in 2016-17.
He also announced that for better monitoring, geo-tagging of all MGNREGA assets is being done and space technology will be used for better transparency.
He informed that 5 lakh farm ponds and 10 lakh pits were fully achieved in 2016-17 and about 10 lakh farm ponds will be completed by March 2017 under MGNREGA.
