Big boost to rural road connectivity

In a boost to rural road connectivity, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has given its approval for the launch of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana-lll (PMGSY-III). It involves the consolidation of through routes and major rural links connecting habitations to Gramin Agricultural Markets, higher secondary schools and hospitals. Under PMGSY-III, it is proposed to consolidate 1,25,000 km roads in states.

Background

 

The PMGSY-III was announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during her Budget 2019-20 speech. On August 9, 2018, the CCEA approved the continuation of PMGSY-I and II beyond the 12th Five Year Plan and covering of balance eligible habitations under PMGSY-I by March 2019, PMGSY-II, and habitations under identified LWE blocks by March 2020.

PMGSY-I

 

The PMGSY was launched in December 2000 with an objective to provide single all-weather road connectivity to eligible unconnected habitations of designated population size (500+ in plain areas and 250+ in North-East, hill, tribal and desert areas as per Census 2001) for overall socio-economic development of the areas. As much as 97 per cent of the eligible and feasible habitations have already been connected by all-weather roads.

The primary objective of the PMGSY is to provide connectivity, by way of an all-weather road to the eligible unconnected hHabitations in rural areas, in such a way that all such habitations with a population of 1,000 persons and above are covered in three years (2000-03) and all such habitations with a population of 500 persons and above by the end of the 10th Five Year Plan (2007).

In respect of the hill states (North-East, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand) and desert areas (as identified in the Desert Development Programme) as well as the Tribal (Schedule V) areas, the objective would be to connect habitations with a population of 250 persons and above.

The PMGSY will permit the upgradation of existing roads in those districts where all the eligible habitations of the designated population size have been provided all-weather road connectivity. However, it must be noted that upgradation is not central to the programme and cannot exceed 20 per cent of the state’s allocation as long as eligible unconnected habitations in the state still exist.