New Delhi, July 26 - India's villages will get some 46,000 km of roads at a cost of Rs.15,000 crore ($3 billion) this fiscal (2009-10) even as the rural job guarantee scheme will be recast to drive the overall economy rather than just assure 100 days of employment, says a new policy document of the government.

For the 11th Five Year Plan (2007-12), the target for village roads is 230,447 km, says the action plan, expected to be unveiled soon by Rural Development Minister C.P. Joshi. A draft copy was obtained by IANS.

India currently has a road network of 3,316,452 km.

The ministry's action plan also aims to enlarge the scope of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme that promises 100 days of employment to one member of each household. The idea is to make it an overall driver of the rural economy.

'The aim is to consolidate our existing flagship programmes - like those for employment, education, health and infrastructure. We will also launch new schemes on food security and skill development,' said a senior official in the ministry requesting anonymity.

For this, the action plan proposes a double-barrelled approach - initiating new works to create permanent assets like watershed projects and bridges and making small and marginal farmers eligible for jobs under these programmes.

'Earlier, most projects engaged workers for things that did not help create permanent assets. They were involved in sundry works like road repairs, building temporary check dams and digging pits,' the ministry official said.

'Now the scope of work will be expanded. Focus will be on expanding social and economic infrastructure rather than mere employment for unskilled manual workers.'

Officials said adequate funding would also be provided as the government's focus on rural development has already seen the allocation for the ministry during the current five-year plan stepped up by a whopping 116 percent.