Bharat Nirman phase II to have higher targets: President

The government said on Thursday it will set higher targets for developing rural infrastructure in the second phase of the Bharat Nirman programme, besides completing the schemes initiated in the initial phase.

"My government launched Bharat Nirman five years ago as a time-bound business plan for rural infrastructure. It has succeeded in reaching basic infrastructure of roads, electricity and telephone to a large number of villages...The remaining tasks will be completed in the second phase of Bharat Nirman," President Pratibha Patil said on Thursday.

"It is also proposed to set enhanced targets for Bharat Nirman in the second phase," she said, adding, the government has achieved most of the targets of rural water supply and rural housing and has increased irrigation potential.

She said the Indira Awas Yojana, which exceeded the original target of 60 lakh (6 million) houses for the period 2004-09, will now double the target of rural housing to 1.2 crore (12 million) houses, to be completed in the next five years.

The United Progressive Alliance government, as per official estimates, had missed the targets of Bharat Nirman, aimed at improving rural infrastructure at an estimated Rs 1,76,000 crore (Rs 1,760 billion).

Achievements had remained abysmally low even as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh himself had expressed displeasure at the slow progress, at a review meeting of the programme.

The three key areas in infrastructure -- electrification, roads and irrigation -- out of the total six, had made bleak progress, according to a government's report on the initiatives.

The other three areas included telephone connectivity in villages, drinking and housing.

The programme was part of the Common Minimum Programme of the previous ruling alliance at the Centre and was to be implemented during 2005-09.

About the rural water supply programme, the President said it will be completed by 2011 and handed over to be managed by panchayats in the next Plan.

"The rural telecommunication target will be set at reaching 40 per cent rural teledensity in the next five years and expanding broadband coverage to connect every panchayat to a broadband network in three years," she said.

She further added that the scheme for common service centres or e-kiosks will be suitably repositioned to be a network of panchayat-level Bharat Nirman Common Service Centres to provide government services to citizens in rural areas.

Further, new targets would be set for rural electrification, irrigation and road connectivity.