Jharkhand Govt proposes ‘Mukhyamantri Gram Gaadi Yojna’ to enhance rural connectivity

Ranchi, Oct 18: In a recent meeting led by Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, the state government has unveiled an ambitious public transport initiative named the ‘Mukhyamantri Gram Gaadi Yojna.’ This plan is geared towards providing enhanced connectivity for the rural population of the state. The Chief Minister intends to present this scheme for swift approval during the upcoming Cabinet meeting.

First phase: 250 buses to connect remote areas
The ‘Mukhyamantri Gram Gaadi Yojna’ will kick off with a fleet of 250 buses in its initial phase, with a larger vision of connecting remote, tribal, and rural areas to other parts of the state. While a specific timeline has not been determined, Chief Minister Soren expressed his intent to present the proposal in the state Cabinet meeting, scheduled for Wednesday.
The idea behind this initiative has been under discussion since earlier this year, and Tuesday’s meeting was convened to expedite the process. Notably, this public transport scheme is not only intended to benefit senior citizens, school and college students, differently-abled individuals, those living with HIV, and widows but will also extend its services to “all revolutionaries who worked for Jharkhand state.” All eligible passengers will enjoy free access to travel, according to official sources.
Chief Minister Soren outlined the primary objective of the scheme, saying, “Our priority is to strengthen the road transport and traffic system in rural and remote tribal areas of the state. The aim is to connect rural areas with block, sub-division, and district headquarters so that people living in remote villages can access an accessible transportation system.”

A vital boost to remote communities
This initiative is expected to have a profound impact, especially on people residing in remote locations. More than 70 percent of Jharkhand’s estimated population, which currently stands at four crore, resides in rural areas. Chief Minister Soren mentioned that following clearance by the cabinet, the process would commence to invite applications for running the buses, and subsequently, work permits would be issued. He also acknowledged that whether this would occur before the state elections scheduled for November-December 2024 remained uncertain.

Transport department officials, who were also present at the meeting, have highlighted that the bus routes will be carefully planned, considering key public places such as hospitals, schools, colleges, weekly markets, local markets, and railway station locations. To further enhance accessibility, a mobile-based application will be launched, providing villagers with real-time bus location information. This is designed to eliminate the inconvenience of waiting for buses due to a lack of information.
Under the ‘Mukhyamantri Gram Gaadi Yojna,’ bus operators on prescribed routes will receive subsidies on vehicle purchases. However, it’s worth noting that the implementation process may be a time-consuming endeavor, according to official sources.