Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren has rolled out the JMM-led coalition government’s ambitious “Mukhya Mantri Gram Gadi Yojana” (MMGGY), a rural bus scheme, to facilitate bus services in far-flung areas.

The primary objective of the scheme is to establish connectivity between blocks, subdivisions, and district headquarters to ensure that residents of remote villages have access to a convenient transportation system.

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The CM kicked-off the scheme during a programme at Ranchi’s Morabadi ground on Wednesday, where he also distributed approval letters and first installments under Abua Awas (Housing) Yojana to the beneficiaries of Ranchi, Gumla and Lohardaga.

“There are villages in remote areas, forests and riversides where there is no road or transport facility. Villagers have to walk 30km to 40km to reach the district headquarters. Now, rural people do not have to suffer. The yojana will facilitate rural people including students, farmers and patients in Jharkhand,” Soren said.

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The CM said around 15,000km roads are being constructed in rural areas.

Senior citizens, school and college students, physically challenged, HIV positive, widows and Jharkhand movement activists will get the facility of free travel in buses, he said.

Former chief minister Hemant Soren had approved the scheme in October 2022. However, private operators did not show any interest in the project terming it “non-viable”.

In October last year, the government approved several amendments to attract private operators for implementation of the scheme.

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The government offered more relief and benefits to operators, which include additional financial assistance, permission to increase seating capacity and extension in route length for passenger vehicles under the scheme, an official said.

The government also decided to provide financial assistance per kilometre to vehicles according to their seating capacity.

Vehicles with a seating capacity between seven and 12 will get financial assistance of Rs 7.5 per km, while vehicles with a seating capacity between 13 and 24 will get Rs 10.5 per km, vehicles with a seating capacity of 25 to 32 will receive Rs 14.5 per km and vehicle with seating capacity between 33 and 42 will get Rs 18 per km, the official said.

The government has decided to operate 250 vehicles under the scheme in the first phase. The permit, registration and fitness fees have also been reduced to Re 1 to attract operators.

Speaking about Abua Awas, the CM said more than 24,000 beneficiaries from Ranchi, Gumla and Lohardaga were given approval letters for the scheme on Wednesday.

An amount of Rs 72.35 crore was transferred as first installment to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries.

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“After three months, we will allot nine lakh houses under the scheme in Jharkhand,” the CM said.

Attacking the opposition in Jharkhand, Soren said, “Out of four years, two years went in Covid pandemic.  The government has done lots of work in two years, which is not possible for BJP to do in the next 25 years.”