New Delhi: Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) is a one-time special intervention of the Union Government to provide rural connectivity, by way of single all-weather road, to the eligible unconnected habitations in the core network. Under PMGSY, all eligible unconnected habitations with more than 500 population in plain areas, 250+ population in Special Category States( Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand), the Desert Areas (as identified in the District Development Programme), the Tribal (Schedule V) areas and Selected Tribal and Backward districts as identified by the Ministry of Home Affairs/NITI Aayog as per 2001 census are to be connected by all weather road. For critical Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected blocks in nine States of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal (as identified by MHA), additional relaxation has been given to connect habitations with population of 100 persons and above.
Under PMGSY, roads are being constructed, maintained and repaired as per the specification laid down in Ministry of Rural Development Specifications for Rural Roads. As per the programme guidelines, Maintenance of rural roads constructed under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) is the responsibility of the State Government. The State Governments are required to undertake the maintenance of the entire Core Network, particularly the road works constructed/upgraded under the PMGSY. All road works constructed under PMGSY are covered by initial five year maintenance contracts to be entered into along with the construction contract, with the same contractor, as per the Standard Bidding Document. State Governments are required to develop sustainable sources of funding for undertaking maintenance functions. The Ministry of Rural Development have extended support to the States in the maintenance.
Management of rural roads. So far 26 States (Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Odisha, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal) have notified rural road maintenance policies for maintenance management of all categories of rural roads in a systematic manner in order to ensure the sustainability of these assets and to provide traffic worthy road connectivity.
Further, with effect from the financial year 2016-17, financial incentives are given to best performing States, which show higher achievement on the basis of set-parameters. The funds released as financial incentives are used for periodic maintenance of rural roads already constructed under PMGSY. Financial incentives amounting to Rs. 1076.49 crore and Rs. 842.50 crore were awarded in fiscal year 2016-17 and 2017-18 respectively for periodic maintenance to best performing States.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Rural Development, Shri Ram Kripal Yadav in Rajya Sabha today.
