Union Minister for Rural Development, Sanitation, Drinking Water and Panchayat Raj, Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday approved 28 rural road projects worth Rs438 crore for building roads in Leh and Kargil districts in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY). A total of 350 km of rural road network will be built under these projects proposals for which were submitted by the State Government, said a senior official from the Ministry. The projects cleared include six proposals in Leh District covering road length of 142 km to be constructed at a cost of Rs181.4 crore. The need for better road network has been felt in the Leh region since 2010 when it faced natural calamity in the form of flash floods. “Though many roads have been repaired since then, the new road projects envisage better connectivity for the locals who otherwise remain accessible to main cities,” the official said. He further said that another 22 projects in Kargil district were approved to build 207 km of rural road at a cost of Rs256.6 crore.In Kargil as many as 23 road connectivity schemes by utilising Rs103.85 crore with an aggregate length of 157.54 km providing road connectivity to 16 habitations stands completed up to March, 2014 under the scheme. The decision to clear the pending projects follows after a delegation from Ladakh led by local BJP member of Lok Sabha Thupstan Chhewang called on him in the national capital, the official added. PMGSY was launched in late 2000 as a fully funded centrally sponsored scheme to provide all weather road connectivity in rural areas of the country. The programme envisages connecting all habitations with a population of 500 persons and above in the plain areas and 250 persons and above in hill States, the tribal and the desert areas. GROWTH PATH Union Minister for Rural Development, Sanitation, Drinking Water and Panchayat Raj, Nitin Gadkari approved 28 rural road projects worth Rs438 crore for building roads in Leh and Kargil districts in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY) A total of 350 km of rural road network will be built The projects cleared include six proposals in Leh district covering road length of 142 km to be constructed at a cost of Rs181.4 crore 22 projects in Kargil district were approved to build 207 km of rural road at a cost of Rs256.6 crore