were connected by March 2014, 82% (80% or 131,000 or 1.3 lakh under the PMGSY and 2% or 14,620 under state govt schemes) were connected by December 2017. Of the remaining 47,000, work on all is in progress except for 1700 which will be approved by the end of December 2017 and 100% connectivity will be achieved by March 2019 (16 December 2017 update). Pending work included harsh terrain states of Assam, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand as well as left-wing Naxalite–Maoist extremism infested state of Chhattisgarh, some districts of Jharkhand and Malkangiri district of Odisha. The average speed of road construction under the PMGSY was 98.5 kilometers per day from 2004 to 2014, it rose to 130 km per day in by 2014-17. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its approval for continuation of PM Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) – I and PMGSY –II up to September 2022. Road Connectivity Project for Left Wing Extremism Affected Areas has also been extended up to March 2023. Impact Scheme has started to change the lifestyle of many villagers with new roads and upgrades, such as in Manipur. In a research paper, by Asher and Novosad (2020) the effects of the road construction program are described as follows: "Four years after road construction, the main effect of new feeder roads is to facilitate the movement of workers out of agriculture. However, there are no major changes in agricultural outcomes, income, or assets. Employment in village firms expands only slightly. Even with better market connections, remote areas may continue to lack economic opportunities." Complementary state schemes Mukhya Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana run by various state governments are the schemes that complement PMGSY, including in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra. Green cover The program has been attempting to increase the green cover near the roads. This is through the planting of trees saplings, including the planting of fruit bearing tree saplings. Varied levels of success has emerged from these attempts. References External links Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Transportation planning Rural community development Economic history of India (1947–present) Vajpayee administration initiatives 2000 in India Rural development in India Roads in India Government schemes in India