Making optimum use of the plant and machinery, which will be brought there for the first phase programme.

It may be possible that there would be some isolated and especially deprived pockets in some districts, which need immediate attention. It is likely that the population of villages in such pockets may be less than 500. It is suggested that the culverts and minor bridges on the alignments of such approach roads may be constructed during Phase-I to provide immediate relief.

One factor, which needs to be considered, is that some villages do not have a consolidated inhabited area at one place. In fact, a village is a revenue concept. We are more concerned with the physical concept of habitation. The different wadis (hamlets) of the same village are sometimes separated by several kilometres. In such cases it is difficult to decide as to the point up to which the black topped road should be taken. It is necessary to provide individual approach roads to individual wadis or hamlets in such cases. Some population criteria for providing individual black top approaches to such wadis will be to be immediately decided. Also if a village is located say within 200m of a black topped road, it may not be necessary to provide a separate black top approach to such a village.

Another aspect, which needs consideration, is that by now the bigger villages in all the States have been connected with black topped roads once. But the specifications for works at that time were comparatively poor and, therefore, for want of maintenance many of such roads have deteriorated to such an extent that they may not be fit to be called black topped roads any more. The villages which we are now proposing to provide with black topped roads are relatively smaller villages. It would, therefore, look bad and might cause problems. It is, therefore, worth considering whether some amount should be set apart for rehabilitation of some selected roads of this category, say 10% of the total amount.

The task is no doubt quite challenging. The work has to be carried out in a large variety of topography, terrains, climates and local conditions. A well-knit system will have to be set up first and then the main task is to be tackled. It is, therefore, suggested that a beginning may be made by taking up the work in about 40 to 50 districts chosen all over the country. One district per state plus an additional district in very large states like U.P., M.P., Maharashtra, Bihar etc. Such a phase is likely to cost about Rs. 10,000