The Centre on Tuesday sanctioned Rs 636 crore to Karnataka to lay 2447 km of all-weather roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. The amount was sanctioned at an empowered group meeting chaired by Union rural development secretary Subhas Pani. It was attended by Karnataka rural development and panchayat raj principal secretary K Jairaj, rural development secretary Kongwad and chief engineer Mruthyunjayappa.

Jairaj told Deccan Herald that work on the process to implement this Phase 7 of the scheme would start immediately. He also said that after the tendering process, the implementation would begin by June 2008, to be completed in 18 months.

Under the scheme, the State has completed 3,387 km of rural roads out of a sanctioned 6,176 km by spending around Rs 700 crore.  This year, about Rs 300 crore was spent under the scheme, which was launched in 2002-03.

He said that the idea for connectivity in hilly regions in Karnataka was mooted  and a special plan of Rs 330 crore was being prepared for the project.  The plan would be presented to the Centre by January next.