Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)
Recently the Parliamentary Standing Committee has released its report on Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).
‘Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana’ is a centrally sponsored scheme, which was started in the year 2000. The scheme objective is to provide all-weather road connectivity to all eligible unconnected habitations in rural areas of the states.
It aims to provide all-weather road connectivity to unconnected habitations. The following population norms have been prescribed for such settlements-
- The plains should have a population of 500 persons as per the 2001 census;
- Special Category States/Union Territories (North East States, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand) should have a population of 250 persons or more.
- It includes desert areas, tribal areas (5th Schedule of the Constitution), and selected tribal and backward areas.
Present Status: 96.24% and 97.01% of the projects sanctioned under PMGSY – I (2000) and PMGSY-II (2013) respectively have been completed.
Challenges:
Poor road construction material, getting the work done through sub-contractors, as well as problems related to logistics or delays due to non-release of funds on time, etc.
Key Recommendations of the report:
- Nodal agencies, both at the Central and State levels, need to adopt a collaborative approach.
- This scheme should be linked with MNREGA.
- Border Roads Organization (BRO) should adopt innovative measures for road construction in Left Wing Extremism affected areas.
- Strict compliance to the provision of onsite road quality testing laboratories should be ensured.
- After construction of roads, adequate funds should be released to ensure their maintenance. It should be ensured that unutilized funds are spent as early as possible.
- The feasibility of accepting Panchayats as a reference point/unit should be considered.
Source – The Hindu
