New Delhi, Aug 17 (IANS): Under the Central government's flagship Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), 1,954 roads covering 12,216 km and 86 bridges were completed in the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and Ladakh till July end this year.

In J&K, 3,261 roads covering 19,277 km and 243 bridges have been sanctioned, of which 1,858 roads totalling 11,517 km and 84 bridges have been completed, said the Rural Development Ministry.

Similarly, in Ladakh 142 roads covering 1,207 km and three bridges have been sanctioned, of which 96 roads and two bridges were completed till July 2020.

In the UTs of J&K and Ladakh, all unconnected habitations with a population of more than 250 are eligible under the PMGSY, the Central government programme for providing connectivity to unconnected habitations based on census 2001.

Work for connecting 2,149 eligible unconnected habitations was sanctioned in J&K, of which 1,858 habitations have been connected. In Ladakh, work for connecting 65 eligible habitations was sanctioned and 64 habitations have been connected.

As per the Ministry, a large part of the sanctioned road work could not be started by August 2019 because the clearance from the forest department had not come. However, the ministry said a substantial number of such pending cases have been resolved, and work has been awarded and started during the last one year with the changes in the governance system.

During the last one year, work on 181 roads totalling 1,292 km and 11 bridges has been completed, with an expenditure of more than Rs 715 crore.