“The soul of India lives in its villages,” declared Gandhiji at the beginning of the 20th century. By and large, decisions used to be for those at the periphery. People’s basic requirement remained at the centre and plans were made to improve life’s unfavourable conditions. When we go through the line in the 21st century: “Real life isn’t a highway, it’s a village road,” this does not look off the mark. Does it not rightly put our normally accepted consideration?
However, the Uttar Pradesh government has taken a doughty decision to do something better for the villages that come in its precincts. What is this decision, by the way? It is definitely about improving the quality of village roads. It will be widened, as news confirms, from three to five metres. It is being done with an eye to provide sufficient space for driving. If roads improve, neglected villages would surely receive a touch of lingering development.
Since we won our freedom in the year 1947, rural areas have become familiar with the fast and speedier vehicles, but the drawback remains either their kuccha roads or uneven, narrow roads. When the movement of four wheelers became a need in rural areas, there arose a requirement for wider roads for motors.
According to a recent news report, as many as 6,000 villages having a population of over 250 people will be connected with concrete link roads in different phases. The state’s PWD is looking at the maintenance of about 2.5 lakh kilometres of roads in rural areas.
(“250 से अधिक आबादी वाले तकरीबन छह हजार गांवों को चरणबद्ध तरीके से पक्के संपर्क मार्गों से जोड़ा जाएगा। उत्तर प्रदेश में लोक निर्माण विभाग की लगभग 2.50 लाख किलोमीटर ग्रामीण सड़कें हैं। विभाग द्वारा अब तक ग्रामीण क्षेत्र में तीन मीटर चौड़ाई की ही सड़कें बनाई जाती रही हैं। चूंकि समय के साथ ही ग्रामीण क्षेत्रों में भी संपन्नता आई है जिससे गांवों में चार पहिया निजी वाहनों का तेजी से आवागमन बढ़ता जा रहा है। इसको देखते हुए लोक निर्माण विभाग ने अब तीन मीटर के बजाय पांच मीटर चौड़ी सड़कें बनाने का निर्णय किया है।”)