377 projects worth Rs 702 crore approved for Delhi’s villages

The Delhi Village Development Board (DVDB) has approved 377 projects totalling Rs 702 crore aimed at upgrading infrastructure across both urban and rural villages in Delhi, across 40 Assembly constituencies, it announced on Sunday.

Of the total amount, Rs 495 crore will be allocated to 259 road, street and lane improvement schemes, while Rs 44 crore covers 30 drainage works, reported The Times of India.

An additional Rs 67 crore is earmarked for 29 renovation works of chaupal (community halls) and Rs 58 crore for 10 new community halls/Bara Ghars, according to the board’s statement.

DVDB Chairperson Raj Kumar Chauhan said the proposals were submitted by MPs and MLAs by December 11, 2025, and reviewed during the board’s second meeting since its reconstitution in September. “Tenders will be issued soon,” he added.

The city has 360 villages, including some 130 urban-style villages that now face high-density development and infrastructural gaps.

By prioritising these zones, the board aims to bridge service-delivery gaps in both older rural-type villages and newly absorbed urban villages within Delhi.

The programmes cover not only roads and drainage, but solar lighting, pond rejuvenation, libraries and village wells, officials told the press.

Urban planners see this as a targeted push to uplift fast-changing village areas in the capital’s hinterland and bring civic standards closer to those in full-fledged urban wards.