Centre released Rs 615.86 lakh for rural housing in Goa, MP informed

HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, DEC 21
Union Minister of State for Rural Development Suryakanta Patil informed MP Shantaram Naik in the Rajya Sabha recently that under Bharat Nirman for rural housing central funds to the tune of Rs 615.86 lakh were released to Goa upto November 2008 and the State Government has reported to have constructed 2,898 houses for the rural poor. 
In a written reply, Suryakanta further told Naik that as regards rural roads under the scheme the target was to upgrade 760.46 km of existing roads for which the State Government has been requested to submit a detailed project report. 
As regards rural drinking water Supply, she said the Central Government had released Rs 476.05 lakh covering three habitations. An amount of Rs.49.5 crore has been released and an area of 9,981 hectares is reported to have brought under assured irrigation, she mentioned.
The Minister told Naik that Bharat Nirman was conceived as a business plan to be implemented over a period of four years i.e. 2005-09 for building rural infrastructure in all the States, including Goa.
Suryakanta further said that the scheme had six components which included bringing additional one crore hectares under assured irrigation and connect all villages having a population of 1000 (500 in hilly/tribal areas) with roads, construct 60 lakh additional houses for the poor, provide electricity to all villages and provide telephone connectivity. 
She informed that rural roads, rural housing and rural drinking water supply components of Bharat Nirman were being implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development.