**Executive Summary:**
This document is the response to Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 322 regarding the repair of rural roads, answered on August 12, 2025. It outlines the mechanisms for ensuring timely and effective maintenance of rural roads, including quality checks, digital oversight, and performance-linked fund release. The Ministry of Rural Development emphasizes the role of State Governments in the maintenance and repair of rural roads.
**Key Points / Main Content:**
* **Maintenance Responsibility:**
* Maintenance of rural roads falls under the jurisdiction of State Governments.
* Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) includes a five-year post-construction maintenance contract awarded with the main construction contract.
* After five years, roads are maintained under zonal maintenance contracts funded by the States.
* **Uttar Pradesh (Barabanki Lok Sabha Constituency):**
* The Government of Uttar Pradesh reported no delays in repairing damaged rural roads in the Barabanki Lok Sabha Constituency.
* Maintenance works are tracked via the eMARG portal, featuring real-time monitoring with geo-tagged, time-stamped photographs uploaded bi-monthly.
* **Quality Control and Fund Utilisation:**
* **Independent Quality Checks:** National Quality Monitors (NQMs) conduct random inspections and flag substandard work to the States for corrective action.
* **Digital Oversight (eMARG):** Tracks road conditions and maintenance compliance during the Defect Liability Period (DLP) with georeferenced photographic evidence.
* **Fund Release Linked to Performance:** Central Share of PMGSY funds depends on States fulfilling maintenance obligations (50% of current year maintenance funds for proposals after May, 100% after November).
* **Periodic Review:** The Ministry conducts review meetings with States/UTs to assess fund utilisation and maintenance progress.
* **Memorandum of Understanding (MoU):** States/UTs must sign an MoU committing to adequate funding for initial and extended maintenance phases.
**Impact Analysis:**
**State Governments:**
* *Impact:* Responsible for the maintenance, budgeting, and fund placement for rural roads.
* *Action Required:* Ensure timely and effective maintenance, utilize the eMARG portal for tracking, and meet minimum fund release percentages to receive central funds.
**Ministry of Rural Development:**
* *Impact:* Oversees quality, fund utilisation, and maintenance progress through independent checks, digital oversight, and periodic reviews.
* *Action Required:* Deploy NQMs, monitor the eMARG portal, conduct review meetings with States/UTs, and enforce MoU commitments.
**Affected Communities:**
* *Impact:* Benefit from timely repair and maintenance of rural roads, improving connectivity and accessibility.
* *Action Required:* Report any issues or delays in road maintenance to the appropriate authorities.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Rural Development: A department within the Government of India responsible for rural development programs.
Shri Tanuj Punia: Member of Parliament who raised a starred question in Lok Sabha regarding the repair of rural roads.
Barabanki Lok Sabha Constituency: Parliamentary constituency in Uttar Pradesh, specifically mentioned in the question regarding damaged rural roads.
Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan: Minister of Rural Development, responsible for answering the questions raised in the Lok Sabha.
Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY): A government scheme for providing all-weather road connectivity to unconnected habitations in rural areas.
Government of Uttar Pradesh: The state government that reported on the repair of damaged rural roads in the Barabanki Lok Sabha Constituency.
eMARG electronic Maintenance of Rural Roads portal: An online portal used by state governments to track and oversee maintenance activities of rural roads, including real-time monitoring and geo-tagged photographs.
National Quality Monitors (NQMs): Individuals deployed by the Ministry to conduct random inspections of road works to ensure quality.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO. 322
ANSWERED ON 12/08/2025
REPAIR OF RURAL ROADS
*322. Shri Tanuj Punia:
Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:
(a) whether there is a delay in repairing rural roads damaged during
last year, if so, the details thereof particularly in the Barabanki
Lok Sabha Constituency;
(b) whether complaints have been received from the affected
communities in this regard;
(c) if so, the details thereof and the action taken thereon; and
(d) the manner in which the Government checks the quality of
repair of roads and ensure proper utilisation of the allocated
funds?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI SHIVRAJ SINGH CHOUHAN)
(a) to (d): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
Page 1 of 3STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (d) OF LOK
SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *322 TO BE ANSWERED ON
12.08.2025 REGARDING “REPAIR OF RURAL ROADS”
(a) to (c): Maintenance of rural roads falls under the jurisdiction of
the State Governments. As per the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak
Yojana (PMGSY) guidelines, all roads constructed under the scheme
are covered by a five-year post-construction maintenance contract,
awarded along with the main construction contract. The
responsibility for ensuring timely and effective maintenance,
including budgeting and fund placement, rests with the respective
State Governments. Post the five years, the roads are to be
maintained under zonal maintenance contracts, which include
periodic renewal works, also funded by the States.
As reported by the Government of Uttar Pradesh, there has been
no delay in the repair of damaged rural roads in the Barabanki Lok
Sabha Constituency. The State is undertaking maintenance works
through the e-MARG (electronic Maintenance of Rural Roads) portal,
which provides real-time tracking and oversight of maintenance
activities. The portal integrates a robust monitoring system with geo-
tagged and time-stamped photographs of maintenance work,
uploaded on a bi-monthly basis.
(d): To ensure the quality and proper utilisation of funds for rural
road maintenance, the Ministry has instituted the following multi-
layered monitoring and enforcement mechanisms:
i. Independent Quality Checks: The Ministry deploys National
Quality Monitors (NQMs) to conduct random inspections of road
works. Any instance of substandard work is promptly flagged to
the concerned State for immediate corrective action.
ii. Digital oversight through e-MARG: The e-MARG portal, now
operational in all States, enables effective tracking of road
conditions and maintenance compliance during the Defect
Liability Period (DLP). Uploads of geo-referenced photographic
evidence ensure transparency and timely execution.
iii. Fund Release Linked to Performance: Central Share of the
Programme funds under PMGSY is conditional upon the States
Page 2 of 3fulfilling their maintenance obligations. States must certify
release of a minimum percentage of the current year’s
maintenance funds-50% for proposals submitted after May, and
100% for those submitted after November.
iv. Periodic Review & State-Level Monitoring: The Ministry
regularly reviews fund utilisation and maintenance progress
during review meetings with States/UTs. States are advised to
undertake timely inspections and adhere to prescribed
maintenance cycles.
v. Memorandum of Understanding (MoU): Participation in the
scheme mandates that each State/UT sign an MoU committing
to adequate provisioning of funds for both the initial and
extended maintenance phases.
*****
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