Parliament Question: Construction of roads under PMGSY in Tamil Nadu

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3969 TO BE ANSWERED ON 27/03/2026 CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS UNDER PMGSY IN TAMIL NADU 3969 Shri R. Dharmar: Will the Minister of Rural Development be pleased to state: (a) the number of roads constructed and projects completed under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) in Tamil Nadu, along with the total financial allocation and expenditure incurred for these projects so far; (b) the steps taken to address challenges in rural road construction, such as delays in implementation, budget constraints and land acquisition issues, particularly in remote areas of Tamil Nadu; and (c) the measures taken to ensure that the roads constructed under PMGSY are of durable quality and benefit villages with poor connectivity, especially in the backward districts of Tamil Nadu? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI KAMLESH PASWAN) (a): Since its inception, a total of 10,368 roads of 26,648 kilometer (km) of road length and 214 Long Span Bridges (LSBs) has been sanctioned under various verticals/components of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) in the state of Tamil Nadu. Out of these, a total of 10,311 roads of 26,282 km of road length and 195 Long Span Bridges (LSBs) has been completed to date. An amount of ₹7,586.395 crore has been released to the state of Tamil Nadu as the central share, and a total expenditure of ₹11,774.87 crore (including the state share) has been incurred by the state under the PMGSY scheme so far. (b): Rural Roads is a state subject and the timely completion of projects is the responsibility of the respective State Governments. While the State may face local challenges such as hilly terrain, land availability, and forest clearances, the Ministry has ensured that budgetary constraints are not an issue. To date, no work under PMGSY in Tamil Nadu has been impacted due to a lack of Central funds. The Ministry maintains a surplus of budgetary support to ensure that the pace of implementation remains uninterrupted. Other proactive steps include: i. For the recently launched PMGSY-IV (2024-29), road alignment and planning are integrated with the PM Gati Shakti GIS platform to fast-track inter-departmental clearances and optimize route planning. ii. To enhance financial discipline and ensure the "just-in-time" release of funds, the Ministry has implemented the SNA-SPARSH system. This ensures that the Central share is immediately available to the State Rural Roads Development Agency (SRRDA) as per the actual progress of work. Page 1 of 2iii. Provisions in the Standard Bidding Document (SBD) have been rationalized to attract more contractors, and regular training is imparted to field engineers to address technical delays in remote areas. iv. Implementation is reviewed through Regional Review Meetings (RRMs) and the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) to resolve bottlenecks at the local level. (c): PMGSY is an area development programme focused on high-quality, sustainable infrastructure. The following measures ensure that roads in the backward districts of Tamil Nadu are durable and serve the intended purpose: i. Three-Tier Quality Assurance mechanism is in place consisting of: 1. Tier I: Mandatory internal quality testing by the Project Implementation Unit (PIU). 2. Tier II: Independent monitoring by State Quality Monitors (SQMs). 3. Tier III: Surprise inspections by National Quality Monitors (NQMs) deputed by the Centre. ii. To enhance durability and reduce the carbon footprint, the Ministry encourages the use of Waste Plastic, Cold Mix Technology, and Cell-filled Concrete. In Tamil Nadu, significant road lengths have been constructed using these innovative materials, which are more resilient to climatic variations. iii. All roads are covered under a 5-year Defect Liability Period (DLP). Maintenance is monitored through the eMARG (electronic Maintenance of Rural Roads) platform, where payments to contractors are strictly linked to the actual condition of the road as verified through geo-tagged photos. iv. Under the new phase of PMGSY-IV, the Ministry has adopted a "Cluster Approach" for habitations. This allows the grouping of smaller, isolated habitations in backward areas to meet population eligibility criteria, ensuring they are connected to vital socio-economic hubs like schools, hospitals, and markets. v. Mandatory installation of GPS-enabled Vehicle Tracking Systems (VTS) on all construction machinery ensures that technical specifications and quality standards are strictly followed during the execution of works. ***** Page 2 of 2