Parliament Question: Maintenance and Repair of Rural Roads

O.I.H. GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5248 ANSWERED ON 24/03/2026 MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR OF RURAL ROADS 5248. Smt. Krishna Devi Shivshankar Patel: Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state: (a) whether several roads in the rural areas constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana has turned dilapidated at numerous points and essentially call for timely maintenance and repair, if so, the details thereof; (b) the number of new roads constructed including those subjected to reconstruction/strengthening (upgradation) in the country during the last three years, State-wise particularly including in Uttar Pradesh; (c) whether the Government has approved any fresh proposal and special package for the strengthening/widening of the old roads and construction of new rural roads; (d) if so, the details thereof including the Budget approved for the same; and (e) whether the Government proposes to enforce any stringent provisions to ensure the maintenance of roads for a certain period in the wake of quality control and construction work? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI KAMLESH PASWAN) (a): ‘Rural Roads’ is a state subject and Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) is a one-time special intervention to provide rural connectivity, by way of a single all-weather road to the eligible unconnected habitations in the core network. Maintenance of roads constructed under the programme is the responsibility of the State Governments and all 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 Page 1 of 4be budgeted by the State Governments and placed at the disposal of the State Rural Roads Development Agencies (SRRDAs) in a separate maintenance account. On expiry of the 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 maintenance cycle, from time to time, which are also financed by the state governments. Besides the above, several measures have been adopted to ensure the durability of the roads being constructed under the scheme. The details are as follows: i. Roads under PMGSY are constructed following the Indian Roads Congress (IRC) standards and specifications to ensure high quality. ii. Innovative and sustainable construction techniques are increasingly adopted for roads in challenging terrains. iii. In light of climate change impacts, efforts are focused on designing roads that can withstand extreme weather conditions. This includes improved drainage systems, disaster-resilient structures, and alignment planning to minimise vulnerabilities. iv. Training programs are organised for engineers and contractors to familiarise them with the latest technologies, materials. (b): During the last three years, the details of roads constructed/upgraded across the country, including in the state of Uttar Pradesh under various verticals of PMGSY, are given below: - Details of road constructed in the country, including Uttar Pradesh Financial Year Number of Roads Length (Km) 2022-23 6,073 29,733.45 2023-24 4,442 26,099.69 2024-25 2,830 18,108.36 Details of the road constructed in the State of Uttar Pradesh Financial Year Number of Roads Length (Km) 2022-23 744 5,011.09 2023-24 911 6,798.80 2024-25 495 2,807.85 Page 2 of 4State-wise details may be accessed at the programme website https://pmgsy.dord.gov.in ->Progress Monitoring >Financial Year-wise Achievement. (c) & (d): The Government has recently launched Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana-IV (PMGSY-IV) for the period 2024-25 to 2028-29. This fresh intervention aims to provide all-weather connectivity to approximately 25,000 unconnected habitations through the construction of 62,500 km of new roads. The total approved outlay for PMGSY-IV is Rs. 70,125 crore (Central Share: Rs. 49,087.50 crore; State Share: Rs. 21,037.50 crore). The eligibility criteria for habitations under this phase, as per Census 2011, are: (i) Plains: 500+ population. (ii) North East, Hill States, and Special Category Areas: 250+ population. (iii) LWE-Affected Districts: 100+ population. To ensure fiscal discipline and project sustainability, the Ministry has established the following robust mechanism for the release of funds: i. States/UTs must sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) committing to the full budgetary support for the initial 5-year post-construction maintenance and the subsequent 5-year renewal cycle. ii. The release of the Central Share is strictly conditional upon the timely release of maintenance funds by the State. For fund proposals submitted after May, States must certify the release of at least 50% of the annual maintenance requirement; for proposals after November, 100% certification is mandatory. iii. Fund flow is managed through the SNA-SPARSH system to ensure real-time tracking, transparency, and utilisation-linked releases. (e): The Government has already incorporated stringent provisions under the PMGSY to ensure maintenance of roads and adherence to quality standards. The key provisions are as follows: i. All PMGSY works are covered under a 5-year Defect Liability Period, during which the contractor is responsible for routine maintenance of the road. Any defects observed during this period must be rectified by the contractor at their own cost. ii. Maintenance during the DLP is linked with performance-based payments, ensuring that contractors maintain the road in good condition to receive payments. Page 3 of 4iii. After completion of the 5-year DLP, the responsibility of maintenance is transferred to the respective State Governments. States are required to make adequate budgetary provisions for continued maintenance. iv. The Government has implemented the eMARG platform to monitor maintenance activities, including post-5-year maintenance, ensuring transparency and accountability. v. A three-tier quality control system (PIU, State Quality Monitors, and National Quality Monitors) is in place to ensure quality construction and maintenance of roads. vi. Stringent penal actions, including withholding of payments, recovery, and debarment of contractors, are enforced in cases of poor quality or failure to maintain roads as per standards. ***** Page 4 of 4