Executive Summary:
This document provides a response to questions raised in Lok Sabha regarding the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) in Kerala, including the Kollam Lok Sabha Constituency. It details the progress of PMGSY I, II, and III, and outlines plans for PMGSY IV. The document addresses concerns about funding delays, new technologies, and overall project timelines, with deadlines for ongoing projects set for March 31, 2026.
Key Points / Main Content:
PMGSY Overview:
* PMGSY launched in 2000 to provide all-weather road connectivity to unconnected habitations based on Census 2001.
* PMGSY II focused on consolidating rural road networks.
* PMGSY III, launched in 2019, aims to consolidate Through Routes and Major Rural Links.
* PMGSY IV, approved for FY 2024-25 to 2028-29, focuses on providing connectivity to unconnected habitations as per Census 2011.
Kerala Specifics:
* 402 habitations in Kerala have been connected under PMGSY since inception until July 31, 2025.
* 562.4 km constructed in Kerala under PMGSY II as of July 31, 2025.
* Under PMGSY III in Kerala, 1,421 km of road length has been sanctioned, and 747 km has been constructed as of July 31, 2025, with 668 km at various stages of execution.
* As of July 31, 2025, Kerala has been released ₹1872.25 crore under the scheme, with an expenditure of ₹2,508 crore.
Funding and Delays:
* Fund allocation to states depends on proposals, works in hand, execution capacity, and unspent balances.
* Kerala had an opening balance of ₹80.50 Crore for the year 2025-26, with ₹29.85 Crore spent as of July 31, 2025.
* The State of Kerala has been requested to make provision for State share in the State budget against the corresponding Central share.
* State Governments are advised to expedite project completion through review meetings and capacity augmentation.
Technology:
* Mechanical Surface Dressing (MSD) was initially sanctioned for PMGSY III roads but was replaced with 25mm Mix Seal Surfacing (MSS) upon the State's request, with cost adjustments to be managed within existing savings or State funds.
Project Status:
* In Kerala, 1,807 roads (5,312.32 km) and 15 bridges were sanctioned; 1,592 roads (4,550.32 km) and 4 bridges have been completed. 215 roads (722.93 km) and 11 bridges are in progress.
* Timeline for completion of ongoing projects under PMGSY II, RCPLWEA and PMGSYIII is March 31, 2026. The timeline for completion of PMGSY I projects in the State was March, 2025.
* Standard completion timeline is 12 working months for road works and 18 calendar months for packages with multiple roadworks; bridge works may take 21-24 months.
Impact Analysis:
Central Government:
* Impact: Responsible for fund allocation, policy decisions, and overall monitoring of the PMGSY scheme.
* Action Required: Continue to work with states, including Kerala, for submission of proposals under PMGSY IV and ensure timely fund releases based on state performance.
State Government of Kerala:
* Impact: Responsible for the implementation of PMGSY projects, fund allocation to PIUs, and ensuring timely project completion.
* Action Required: Expedite project execution, augment executing and contracting capacity, ensure State share provision in the budget, and comply with program guidelines for maintenance fund requirements.
Contractors:
* Impact: Responsible for the execution of road construction projects under PMGSY.
* Action Required: Adapt to new technologies (e.g., MSS), manage project timelines effectively, and participate in training programs for capacity building.
Programme Implementation Units (PIUs):
* Impact: Responsible for project implementation at the district level.
* Action Required: Effectively utilize allocated funds, monitor project progress, and ensure timely completion of road works.
Key Entities Referenced
Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY): A rural connectivity program launched in 2000 to provide all-weather road access to eligible unconnected habitations.
Kerala: A state in India where the PMGSY is being implemented. Specific details about the program's progress and challenges within the state are discussed.
Kollam LokSabha Constituency: A parliamentary constituency in Kerala, specifically mentioned in relation to delays in PMGSY road construction due to funding issues.
PMGSY-II: A phase of the PMGSY focused on the consolidation of rural roads network.
PMGSY-III: A phase of the PMGSY launched in 2019 for consolidation of Through Routes and Major Rural Links.
PMGSY-IV: A phase of the PMGSY from FY 2024-25 to 2028-29 for providing connectivity to eligible unconnected habitations.
Gramin Agricultural Markets (GrAMs): Markets that PMGSY-III aims to connect habitations to.
Kamlesh Paswan: Minister of State in the Ministry of Rural Development
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2552
ANSWERED ON 05/08/2025
IMPLEMENTATION OF PMGSY
2552. Shri N K Premachandran:
Shri M K Raghavan:
Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government proposes to implement the Pradhan
Mantri Gram SadakYojana (PMGSY) considering the specialty
and requirement of State of Kerala, if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether it comes to the notice of the Government that the
work under PMGSY in Kollam LokSabha Constituency is
delaying due to lack of funds, if so, the action taken to ensure
the timely completion of the work;
(c) whether the Government proposes to initiate action on the
inordinate delay in execution of the work, if so, the details
thereof;
(d) whether it comes to the notice of the Government that the new
technology adopted for tarring of roads which is not familiar to
the contractors delaying the work, if so, the action taken to
change the technology;
(e) the details of list of roads in Kollam LokSabha Constituency
approved for development under PMGSY;
(f) whether the Ministry has noticed any delay in the completion
of road works under PMGSY-III in Kerala, if so, the details
thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
(g) whether the Ministry can provide the details of average time
taken to complete road construction under PMGSY; and
(h) if so, the State and district-wise details of Kerala on average
time taken for implementation?
Page 1 of 4ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI KAMLESH PASWAN)
(a): The Pradhan Mantri Gram SadakYojana (PMGSY) was launched
in the year 2000 as a one-time special intervention to provide rural
connectivity, by way of a single all-weather road, to the eligible
unconnected habitations of designated population size as per
Census 2001. Sinceinception,till 31/7/2025, a total of 402
habitations in Kerala have been provided connectivity under the
programme.
The PMGSY-II was implemented in the country for
consolidation of rural roads network. A total of 562.4 Kms have
been constructed, as on 31/7/2025, in the State of Kerala under the
programme.
PMGSY-III was launched in 2019 for consolidation of 1,25,000
Km Through Routes and Major Rural Links connecting habitations,
inter-alia, to Gramin Agricultural Markets (GrAMs), Higher Secondary
Schools and Hospitals. In Kerala State, out of the total target length
of 1,437.84 km, total 1,421 km of road length has been sanctioned
and 747 km has been constructed as on 31.07.2025 under PMGSY-
III. A total of 668 Km is currently at various stages of execution.
The Union Cabinet has approved the implementation of the
PMGSY-IV from FY 2024-25 to 2028-29 for providing connectivity to
eligible 25,000 unconnected habitations in the country of
population size 500+ in plains, 250+ in NE & Hill Sates/UTs, special
category areas (Tribal Schedule V, Aspirational Districts/Blocks,
Desert areas) and 100+ in LWE affected districts, as per Census
2011. The Central Government is working closely with the States,
including Kerala, for submission of proposals under this
programme.
(b) & (c): The allocation/release of funds to the State for
implementation of PMGSY is done on the basis of the proposal
received from the State which inter-alia depends on works in hand,
execution capacity of the State and unspent balances available
with the State. The funds for implementation of the scheme are
released by the Ministry to the State as whole. Further release of
funds to the Programme Implantation Units (PIUs) at the district
level is done by the respective State Governments depending upon
the absorption capacity of the PIU.
Page 2 of 4Since inception of PMGSY, the State of Kerala has been
released ₹1872.25 crore under the scheme against which
expenditure incurred (including State share), as on 31/7/2025, is
₹2,508 crore. During the year 2025-26, the State had an opening
balance of ₹80.50 Crore out of which only ₹29.85 Crore has been
spent, as on 31-7-2025. The State of Kerala has been requested to
make provision for State share in the State budget against the
corresponding Central share and comply with the programme
guidelines for crediting 50% of maintenance fund requirements
during the year in the maintenance fund of the State.
The details of expenditure incurred in Kollam district can be
accessed at omms.nic.in> Progress Monitoring> Monthly Progress
Reports>MPR1.
State Governments are advised through various Regional
Review meetings & Empowered Committee meetings to take
suitable necessary action to expedite timely completion of road
works under PMGSY. States have been requested to augment
executing capacity and contracting capacity to avoid delays in
sanctioned projects. Bidding document provisions have been
rationalized and training is imparted to field engineers and
contractors as well as their staff for capacity building of field units.
(d): Yes, Mechanical Surface Dressing (MSD) was sanctioned for
surface coat of the PMGSY III roads for some of the roads. However,
based on the request of the State, this was replaced with 25mm Mix
Seal Surfacing (MSS) instead of the sanctioned MSD as per para
11.5 of programme guidelines subject to condition that additional
cost towards difference between 25mm MSS and two coat of MSD
shall be borne from the savings of the particular batch and if no
savings is available the State has to bear the additional cost from
State fund.
(e): The details of list of roads in Kollam LokSabha Constituency
approved for development under different interventions of PMGSY
may be accessed at programme website www.omms.nic.in >
Proposals > Sanctioned Projects.
(f): A total of 1,807 roads of 5,312.32 km length and 15 bridges
were sanctioned out of which 1,592 roads of 4,550.32 km length and
4 bridges have already been constructed under various
interventions/ verticals of the PMGSY in Kerala. 215 roads of 722.93
km length and 11 bridges are in progress at various stages of
Page 3 of 4execution. The vertical-wise details in respect of Kerala are given
below:-
Verticals Sanctioned Completed In-progress
Number Road Number Number Road Number Number Road Number
of Length of of Length of of Length of
Roads (km) Bridges Roads (km) Bridges Roads (km)* Bridges
PMGSY-I 1,374 3,308.37 1 1362 3241.10 1 12 39.34 -
PMGSY 149 582.88 3 141 562.24 3 8 15.61 -
II
PMGSY- 284 1,421.07 11 89 746.99 - 195 667.99 11
III
Total: 1,807 5,312.32 15 1592 4550.33 4 215 722.93 11
*The in-progress road length is less than the difference of
sanctioned and completed length due to reduction in curve length,
change in alignment, construction of part length by other agencies,
etc.
The timeline for completion of ongoing project under PMGSY-
II, RCPLWEA and PMGSY-III is 31.03.2026. The timeline for
completion of PMGSY I projects in the State was March, 2025.
(g) & (h): ‘Rural roads’ is a State subject and the works under
PMGSY are executed through State Governments. As per the
programme guidelines, the timeline for completion of road work is
12 working months from the date of issue of the work order.
However, where a package comprises more than one roadwork, the
total time given for completion of the package is 18 calendar
months. Similarly, a time period of 21-24 months has been allowed
for completion of bridge works exceeding 25-meter in length,
depending on site conditions.
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