Executive Summary:
The document answers questions raised in Lok Sabha regarding the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) and related road development initiatives. It details the scheme's objectives, funding, progress, and use of environmentally friendly techniques. It also addresses delays in national and state highway construction, clarifying that these are outside the scope of PMGSY. The document provides data as of August 7, 2025, and mentions PMGSY IV launched on September 11, 2024.
Key Points / Main Content:
PMGSY Scheme Details:
* PMGSY launched in December 2000 to provide all-weather road connectivity to unconnected rural habitations.
* PMGSY II (launched in 2013) focuses on upgrading existing rural roads.
* PMGSY III (launched in 2019) consolidates Through Routes and Major Rural Links, upgrading 1.25 lakh km of roads.
* PMGSY IV (launched September 11, 2024) aims to connect 25,000 additional habitations with a total outlay of Rs. 70,125 crore.
* Population norms for PMGSY eligibility vary by region (500 in plain areas, 250 in NE and Hill States/UTs, Special Category Areas, etc., and 100 in LWE-affected areas as per Census 2011).
* As of August 7, 2025, 7,83,000 km of road length constructed and 1.62 lakh habitations connected under PMGSY.
Funding and Maintenance:
* States are responsible for the maintenance of PMGSY roads, with funds provided by the States.
* Initial five-year maintenance contracts are included with construction contracts.
* Maintenance is monitored online through the eMARG application.
* MoRTH released Rs 120.15 Cr to Uttarakhand under CRIF in FY 2025-26 for road repairs.
Road Construction Progress:
* 1,91,282 rural road works sanctioned covering 8,38,611 km and 12,146 bridges under PMGSY.
* 1,83,215 road works completed covering 7,83,727 km and 9,891 bridges.
Highway Construction Delays:
* Delays in National and State highway projects are attributed to land acquisition, statutory clearances, utility shifting, and other issues.
* MoRTH is addressing bottlenecks in ongoing projects and expediting clearances for new projects.
Environmentally Friendly Techniques:
* The government promotes the use of green technology and sustainable materials in road construction.
* IRC standards and guidelines are updated to facilitate the use of eco-friendly materials.
* Materials used include fly ash, slag, construction demolition waste, waste plastic, and others.
* 1,66,694 km of road works sanctioned using new green technologies, with 1,24,688 km completed.
Impact Analysis:
Central Government (Ministry of Rural Development, MoRTH):
* Impact: Responsible for overseeing and funding the PMGSY scheme, addressing highway construction delays, and promoting eco-friendly construction techniques.
* Action Required: Continue coordinating with State Governments, monitoring project progress, resolving bottlenecks, and updating guidelines for sustainable materials.
State Governments/ State Rural Roads Development Agencies (SRRDAs):
* Impact: Responsible for the construction and maintenance of PMGSY roads within their respective states.
* Action Required: Implement PMGSY guidelines, budget for maintenance funds, monitor road conditions through eMARG, and ensure timely completion of projects.
Rural Residents:
* Impact: Benefit from improved road connectivity, enhancing access to social and economic services.
* Action Required: Utilize the improved infrastructure and report any maintenance issues to relevant authorities.
Contractors/Concessionaires:
* Impact: Responsible for the construction and initial maintenance of PMGSY roads.
* Action Required: Adhere to project timelines, quality standards, and maintenance contracts, and use eco-friendly materials where applicable.
Key Entities Referenced
Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY): A centrally sponsored scheme in India for providing all-weather road connectivity to eligible unconnected habitations in rural areas.
Ministry of Rural Development: The Indian government ministry responsible for rural development programs, including PMGSY.
Ministry of Road Transport Highways (MoRTH): The Indian government ministry responsible for the development and maintenance of National Highways and providing funds for state roads under CRIF.
Central Road Infrastructure Fund (CRIF): A fund used by MoRTH for the development of state roads.
State Rural Roads Development Agencies (SRRDAs): Agencies at the state level responsible for managing and implementing the PMGSY program.
Uttarakhand: A state in India that received funds under the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF) for road repairs.
Indian Roads Congress (IRC): An apex body of highway engineers in India responsible for framing standards and guidelines for road construction, including the use of new materials and technologies.
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI): An autonomous agency of the Government of India, responsible for management of a network of National Highways.
O.I.H.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3899
ANSWERED ON 12/08/2025
FORMULATION OF SPECIAL SCHEME UNDER PMGSY
3899. Shri Sanjay Uttamrao Deshmukh:
Shri Bhausaheb Rajaram Wakchaure:
Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has formulated any special scheme for
the improvement and construction of roads in rural areas, if so,
the details thereof;
(b) whether the Government has set any specific funds for the
repair and maintenance of rural roads, if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether various rural areas still do not have road connectivity,
if so, the details thereof and the steps taken to connect these
areas;
(d) the reasons for the delay in the construction of national
highways and State highways;
(e) the steps being taken by the Government to expedite this and
complete it on time; and
(f) whether the Government is using environment friendly
techniques in the construction of roads, if so, the details
thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI KAMLESH PASWAN)
(a): Yes. The Government has formulated a dedicated scheme,
namely the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), for the
improvement and construction of roads in rural areas. Launched in
December 2000, the primary objective of the scheme is to provide all-
weather road connectivity to eligible unconnected habitations in
rural areas, thereby enhancing access to social and economic
services and improving the quality of life for rural residents.
Page 1 of 4Subsequently, new verticals of PMGSY were launched for
upgradation/consolidation of rural roads, which are as under:
(i) PMGSY-II: Launched in 2013 to upgrade existing rural roads to
enhance rural infrastructure.
(ii) PMGSY-III: Launched in 2019 to consolidate Through Routes and
Major Rural Links by upgrading 1.25 lakh km of rural roads, including
those linking Gramin Agricultural Markets (GrAMs), higher secondary
schools, and hospitals.
Further, the Government has launched PMGSY IV on 11th
September 2024 for providing road connectivity to 25000
unconnected eligible habitations which have become eligible due to
their population increase, with a total outlay of Rs. 70,125 crore
(Central Share of Rs. 49,087.50 crore and State Share of Rs. 21,037.50
crore). Unconnected habitations having 500+ population in plain
areas; 250+ in NE and Hill States/UTs, Special Category Areas
(Schedule V Tribal Areas, Aspirational Districts/Blocks, Desert
Areas); and 100+ in LWE-affected areas (as notified by Ministry of
Home Affairs in 9 States), as per Census 2011, are eligible for
coverage under PMGSY as per population norms of the programme.
Under this scheme, 62,500 Km of all-weather roads will be provided
to unconnected habitations. Construction of required bridges along
the alignment of the all-weather road will also be provided.
The preliminary identification of eligible habitations under
PMGSY-IV has been completed, and the Ministry is working in close
coordination with State Governments to finalise and sanction
proposals accordingly.
A total of 7,83,000 km of road length has been constructed as
on 07.08.2025 under all the interventions/verticals of PMGSY, and
more than 1.62 lakh habitations have been provided connectivity
under the scheme during the same period.
Further, the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) is
mainly responsible for the development & maintenance of National
Highways. The MoRTH provides funds for the development of state
roads under the Central Road & Infrastructure Fund (CRIF) scheme.
(b): PMGSY roads are constructed by the State Governments with a
design life of at least 10 years. As per PMGSY guidelines,
maintenance of roads constructed under the programme is the
Page 2 of 4responsibility of the State Governments and maintenance funds are
provided by the States. All PMGSY road works 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. Maintenance funds to service the contract are
required to be budgeted by the State Governments and placed at the
disposal of the State Rural Roads Development Agencies (SRRDAs) in
a separate maintenance account. The maintenance works on PMGSY
roads are monitored online through eMARG (Electronic Maintenance
of Rural Roads) application. On expiry of this 5-year post-construction
maintenance, PMGSY roads are required to be placed under Zonal
maintenance contracts consisting of 5-year maintenance, including
renewal as per cycle, from time to time.
MoRTH has released Rs 120.15 Cr under the Central Road and
Infrastructure Fund (CRIF) to Uttarakhand in FY 2025-26 for the repair
of roads.
(c): So far under PMGSY (all verticals), 1,91,282 number of rural
roads covering a length of 8,38,611 km and 12,146 bridges have been
sanctioned, out of which 1,83,215 road works for a length of 7,83,727
km and 9,891 bridges have been completed.
(d): The National highways and State highways are not covered
under PMGSY. The MoRTH has informed that the primary reasons for
delay in NH projects, if any, are issues/bottlenecks relating to land
acquisition, statutory clearances/permissions, utility shifting,
encroachment removal, law & order, financial crunch of
Concessionaire / Contractor, poor performance of Contractor
/Concessionaire, and Force Majeure events like Covid-19 pandemic,
heavy rainfall, floods, cyclone, landslides/avalanches, etc.
(e): The MoRTH has informed that it is leveraging the mechanism of
review and resolution of bottlenecks/hindrances in ongoing projects,
in active collaboration with the State Governments and other
stakeholders. The MoRTH has further informed that it is also making
full efforts to expedite the availability of necessary
clearances/approvals and the fulfilment of conditions precedent for
new projects.
(f): Yes. New/ green technology economises the construction cost
of roads as well as the disposal of different industrial as well as
municipal waste effectively, which will not only save the environment
but also conserve the use of virgin mining materials effectively. It will
Page 3 of 4also enhance the execution capacity and reduce the construction
period.
Adoption of eco-friendly green & sustainable materials and
cutting-edge construction practices & technology for road
construction is promoted. Based on international best practices and
the outcome of indigenous research, new standards/guidelines are
framed by the Indian Roads Congress (IRC) and existing
standards/guidelines of IRC are amended from time to time to
facilitate the use of such materials and technology. MoRTH/National
Highways Authority of India (NHAI) have also issued policy guidelines
on the use of such eco-friendly materials/processes. New/innovative
materials/processes are also accredited by the Indian Road
Congress(IRC) for use in trial sections. All such materials and
processes as allowed by IRC standards/guidelines, International
Standards such as American Association of State Highway and
Transportation Officials (AASHTO), American Society for Testing of
Materials (ASTM), Euro Codes, British Codes, as well as materials
accredited by IRC are allowed in National Highways Projects.
Various kinds of eco-friendly green and sustainable materials
such as fly ash, slag, construction & demolition waste, inert
materials of landfill, waste plastic, crumb rubber modified bitumen,
milling & recycling, geosynthetics including jute & coir, bamboo
crash barrier, bio-bitumen, bio-engineering measures for slope
protection, ground granulated blast furnace slag, etc. are used in
different NH projects depending upon availability and feasibility of
use.
So far, under PMGSY (all verticals), around 1,66,694 km of road
works have been sanctioned using new/ green technologies, out of
which 1,24,688 km have been completed.
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