Parliament Question: Persistent Challenges in Punjab

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4368 ANSWERED ON 19/08/2025 PERSISTENT CHALLENGES IN PUNJAB

4368. Dr. Raj Kumar Chabbewal:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government is aware of the persistent developmental challenges in the Kandi region of Punjab including lack of irrigation, drinking water scarcity and poor road connectivity, if so, the details thereof;

(b) the steps taken to address soil erosion, unemployment and migration from this ecologically sensitive region; and

(c) whether any special financial package or Central assistance is being planned to support holistic development of the Kandi belt and uplift its socio-economic conditions, if so, the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI KAMLESH PASWAN)

(a)to (c): Ministry of Rural Development is implementing various Schemes for development of rural areas of the country which includes Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS) and Pradhan Mantri Gram SadakYojana (PMGSY). Mahatma Gandhi NREGS is a demand driven wage employment Scheme, with an objective to provide not less than one hundred days of unskilled manual work as a guaranteed employment in every financial year to every household in rural areas as per demand, resulting in creation of productive assets of prescribed quality and durability.

Page 1 of 4It provides livelihood security, i.e. fall back options for livelihood for the rural households, when no better employment opportunity is available.

Details of Persondays generated in Kandi region (Hoshiarpur, SBS Nagar (Nawanshahr), Pathankot, Ropar and SAS Nagar Mohali) of Punjab under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during the current financial year 2025-26 (as on 14.08.2025) are given below:

Persondays generated SI. No. District (Figure in lakh) 1 Hoshiarpur 6.77 2 SBS Nagar (Nawanshahr) 6.15 3 Pathankot 3.67 4 Ropar 5.84 5 SAS Nagar Mohali 3.15 Category-wise details of works taken up and expenditure in Kandi region (Hoshiarpur, SBS Nagar (Nawanshahr), Pathankot, Ropar and SAS Nagar Mohali) of Punjab under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during the current financial year 2025-26 (as on 14.08.2025) are given at Annexure.

With regards to Pradhan Mantri Gram SadakYojana (PMGSY), it is stated that "Rural road" is a State subject. As a part of poverty reduction strategy, the Government of India launched the Pradhan Mantri Gram SadakYojana (PMGSY-I) on 25th December 2000 to assist the States through construction of rural roads. Under PMGSY I, eligible unconnected habitations were taken up for providing connectivity through all-weather roads. In Punjab, under 500+ population category, a total of 389 habitations were sanctioned for providing connectivity under the PMGSY-I and all the habitations have already been provided connectivity. Other verticals viz.

PMGSY II and PMGSY III were also started for upgradation of rural roads for better connectivity to growth centres and for improved connectivity to schools, hospitals, Gramin Agricultural Markets, respectively.

PMGSY plays a pivotal role in improving rural connectivity and enabling inclusive development. Since its inception in 2000, PMGSY Page 2 of 4has been instrumental in transforming rural livelihoods by providing all-weather road connectivity to previously unconnected habitations, especially in remote, border, tribal, and backwards areas. Improved road infrastructure under PMGSY has:

 Facilitated better access to health care, education, and social services.  Enabled market linkages for farmers, artisans, and entrepreneurs, thereby enhancing rural incomes and creating local employment opportunities.

 Supported rural housing programs (e.g., PMAY-G) by ensuring material supply chains and construction access.  Strengthened rural development schemes like MGNREGS, NRLM, JalJeevan Mission, and Swachh Bharat Mission through improved last-mile connectivity.

The State of Punjab has already been sanctioned its complete entitlement under PMGSY-I, II & III. The Status of projects sanctioned, completed and balance under various verticals of PMGSY for the State of Punjab as on 13th August, 2025 are as under:

Sanctioned Completed Balance* Road Road Road Vertical No. of No. of No. of length LSBs length LSBs length LSBs roads roads roads

(km) (km) (km) PMGSY-I 1,050 6,937 0 1,050 6,912 0 0 0 0 PMGSY- 123 1,343 7 123 1,331 7 0 0 0 II PMGSY- 339 3,365 67 205 2,241 17 134 1132 50 III Total 1,512 11,645 74 1,378 10,484 24 134 1,132 20 *Balance road length is less than the difference of sanctioned and completed length due to the reasons that some projects were completed with less than the sanctioned length due to reduction in road length, change in alignment, construction of part length by other agencies, etc.

Recently, a new vertical named PMGSY-IV has been launched on 11th September, 2024 with a focus on providing all-weather connectivity to 25,000 eligible unconnected habitations of 500+ population in plain areas, 250 + population in NE and Hill States/UTs, special category areas (Tribal Schedule-V, Aspirational Districts/Blocks, Desert Areas) and 100+ in Left Wing Extremism

(LWE) affected districts as per Census 2011. ***** Page 3 of 4Annexure Annexure referred to in reply to parts (a) to (c) of LokSabhaUnstarred Question No. 4368 dated 19.08.2025.

District -wise, Category-wise details of works taken up under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS in Kandi region of Punjab during current FY 2025-26 (as on 14th August 2025) HOSHIARPUR SBS Nagar NAWANSHAHR Pathankot ROPAR SAS NAGAR MOHALI Name of No. of works No. of works No. of works No. of works No. of works Total Total Total Total Total the Categories Co tm edp le On gg oin Ex lp a. k(i hn ) Rs Com dp leteOng g oinEx lp a. k(i hn ) Rs Com edp let Ong g oin Ex lp a. k(i hn ) Rs Com dp lete Ongoing Ex lp a. k(i hn ) Rs C plo dem t eOngoing Ex lp a. k(i hn ) Rs Anganwadi /Other Rural Infrastruct ure 24 1,093 530.48 28 239 110.60 4 397 96.58 24 295 59.48 2 326 50.71 Drought Proofing 232 1,784 441.07 122 593 418.70 18 1,132 264.18 114 733 190.43 12 669 418.78 Flood Control and Protection 67 375 452.66 10 64 68.35 - 3 3 22.00 94 407 446.54 - 26 0.88 Land Developme nt 79 394 114.20 256 260 280.50 40 1,209 628.09 424 836 387.26 33 263 122.29 Micro Irrigation Works 109 508 274.84 10 143 217.77 14 253 161.78 22 85 259.80 - 11 2.51 Renovation of traditional water bodies 142 1,030 641.90 101 384 940.29 1 110 30.68 24 523 901.43 6 276 408.58 Rural Connectivi ty 104 1,140 111.89 76 285 39.73 24 874 172.85 91 325 62.95 9 317 48.34 Rural Sanitation 46 753 10.73 16 76 7.27 3 356 14.11 8 63 2.17 3 259 53.58 Water Conservati on and Water Harvesting 33 156 30.46 35 147 200.53 2 236 75.47 13 174 116.19 1 72 6.39 Works on Individuals Land 63 1,632 85.58 63 678 10.91 4 1,441 48.42 119 1,823 62.16 4 1,399 71.98 Total 899 8,865 2,693.81 717 2,869 2,294.65 110 6,041 1,514.16 933 5,264 2,488.41 70 3,618 1,184.04 ***** Page 4 of 4