Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan unveiled rural road projects worth Rs 80 billion (Rs 80 bn) at the Sher?i?Kashmir International Conference Centre in Srinagar and handed over the sanction letter for projects totalling Rs 35.66 billion (Rs 35.66 bn) under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana phase four (PMGSY?IV), batch two, to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. The announcement framed the schemes as part of a wider drive to improve connectivity and spur development in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).

The schemes are designed to connect 363 habitations through 330 roads covering approximately 1,600 km, with a focus on last?mile links to education, healthcare and markets. Officials described the approvals as the first under PMGSY?IV for the region and said prioritisation of Jammu and Kashmir in both phases placed it at the forefront of rural connectivity initiatives. Authorities characterised the package as historic for rural infrastructure.

A separate mother sanction exceeding Rs 45.68 billion (Rs 45.68 bn) was released under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana?National Rural Livelihoods Mission to support self?help groups in 24 states and Union territories. The Centre indicated the funding would strengthen women’s entrepreneurship and financial resilience and aimed to transform participants into sustainable income earners through targeted livelihood support and capacity building.

The minister outlined agricultural measures to accompany the connectivity push, acknowledging small landholdings, difficult terrain and adverse weather as constraints. He said the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme would promote quality planting material, nurseries and scientific farming, and that a team from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research would assess climate, soil and water resources to prepare a roadmap. Integrated farming and allied activities were identified as income enhancers.

The Centre assured continued support for subsequent phases and said implementation progress would determine future approvals. The minister conveyed a message of service and stressed that development must translate into tangible improvements, with the J&K administration expected to carry forward inclusive growth.