A prominent feature of Budget 2010, like the previous United Progressive Alliance budgets, is the continued support to the Bharat Nirman - a programme which has come to occupy an important part in the UPA government's thrust on rural development. This article attempts a stocktaking exercise of this initiative, and in doing so, it draws attention to areas where mid-course correction is called for if the increased budgetary allocation is to translate into a de facto improvement in rural infrastructure.