PRADHAN MANTRI GRAM SADAK YOJNA (PMGSY)

Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna was launched by the government of India to provide connectivity to unconnected habitations of the country as a part of their poverty alleviation program. It was initially launched as PMGSY I to provide single road connectivity to eligible unconnected habitations. Building on its success, subsequent interventions were undertaken like PMGSY II, Road Connectivity Project for Left Wing Extremism Areas (RCPLWEA), and PMGSY III, to upgrade rural roads, constructing vital roads in LWE affected areas, and strengthening major rural links.

Objectives:

• • To provide connectivity in unconnected habitations.
  • To upgrade the already existing roads to all weather roads.
  • Providing links for enhanced connectivity.
  • Improving accessibility to public services like health, education etc.
  • Promoting employment generation
  • Improving the quality of life

Features:

• • It is a centrally sponsored scheme.
  • Eligibility: Rural areas with population of 500 or more in case of plain areas and for hill states including NE, desert states, tribal areas and other backward states having population of 250 or more.
  • Online Management, Monitoring and Accounting System (OMMAS) is established as a monitoring mechanism for PMGSY.
  • The works executed by the state are monitored by MoRD through National Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (NRIDA).
  • The roads developed under the scheme are to be maintained by state governments.
  • Funding: 60:40 for states except northeast and hilly states

90:10 for northeast and hilly states

• • Phases/Initiatives:

• • The scheme is currently in its third phase – PMGSY III. Its time period is from 2019 to 2025.

Significance:

• • It has led to a significant increase in the road length. More than 7.6 lakh km of road length is already completed under the scheme.
  • The rural road connectivity infrastructure was largely ignored by the policy makers due to inadequate funds and diverted focus. PMGSY seeks to fill this gap and enable even the remotest corners of our country to enjoy the fruits of development.
  • Increased connectivity forms a key component of rural development as it enhances the access of rural populations to various social and economic services. It enables rural population to avail opportunities related to employment, health, education etc.
  • Good roads aids in easier and faster farm to market connectivity. It helps in timely movement of perishable products from village farms to market centres. Besides this all-weather road provide an incentive to industry to move to the hinterland thus sustainable employment generation in villages.
  • Good connectivity encourages the government functionaries like primary teachers, health workers, and agriculture extension workers to willingly move to villages in order to offer their services. This ultimately contributes to better performance on socio-economic indicators and overall prosperity.

Issues:

• • Delays in target achievement: The targets set under the scheme are not achieved on time.
    • According to a recent report by MoSPI, 7 states and UTs fail to reach even 20% of their targets under PMGSY, in the first 9 months of last financial year.
    • Delays in previous phases of the scheme: The targets set under PMGSY I and PMGSY II were not complete on time. This adversely affects the livelihood and developmental prospects of rural society. Also, such delays result in cost escalation of the project.
    • Delay in progress under RCPLWEA: It was noted by a parliamentary committee thatonly 56% of the work was completed till January 2023, as against the target of 2020. It was mainly due to law-and-order issues, delay in forest clearance, difficult terrain and non-availability of contractors.
  • Issues related to funds:
    • Inadequate fund allocation: It has been noted by the parliamentary committee that 41% of the total roads are in poor conditions because of the non-provisioning of adequate funds by the State.
    • The funds allocated for works under the scheme remain unspent. According to a standing committee report the unspent balance stands at around Rs 6,800 crores, as on January 2023.
    • Fund diversion: there has been a problem of fund diversion, as highlighted by a CAG report. As per the report, in multiple states the funds allocate for road construction were diverted maintenance and administrative expenditures, salaries and wages, etc.
  • Land acquisition issue: It cause delays in implementation and even abandoning of projects. Moreover, there is loss of expenditure due to cost escalations. As per a audit report by CAG, 372 projects were abandoned in 11 states between 2010-15, due to non-availability of land or land disputes.
  • Poor planning: The implementation of the scheme is not holistically planned rather it is done in silos. Some projects were completed without building the required infrastructure like bridges or cross drainage structures. This makes the roads non-usable for all-weather connectivity and thus wastage of resources.
  • Post-construction maintenance: Under PMGSY, road is constructed for a design life of 10 years. The responsibility of maintenance is divided between the contractor (for first 5 years) and the state government (for next 5 years). The contractors do not adhere to this which results in degraded road quality.
  • Issues with tendering and contractors: The committee observed an issue in bidding process. The contractors use a practice called “low-tendering”, i.e. submitting low bids in order to win the projects.This leads to a compromise in the quality of materials.  As a result, the roads built through this approach tend to wear out quickly.
  • Outdated data: the habitations under PMGSY are based on 2001 census due to which many eligible habitations are left uncovered under the scheme.

Parliamentary Standing Committee recommendations:

• • Increase Funding: There is need to allocate sufficient funds to expedite project implementation and address infrastructural gaps. There should be a well-established coordination mechanism with Ministry of Finance to ensure consistent flow of funds.
  • Enhance Monitoring: there is need to implement robust monitoring mechanisms to track progress, ensure quality standards, and address other issue promptly.
    • There must be proper supervision of states to prevent diversion of funds for other purpose.
    • Ensure stricter compliance with quality control labs on ground by thorough evaluation.
  • Transparency in the bidding process to prevent low tendering. It helps building public trust and social capital thus, making the process of development more inclusive.
  • Maintenance and upkeep: the government should develop a comprehensive maintenance plan to ensure that the roads remain in good condition even after completion, including the provision for regular inspections and timely repairs. The contractors who fail to abide by the contract (maintenance for first five years) should be blacklisted.

Way Forward:

• • Community engagement: Involvement of local communities in planning and implementation process to ensure that the roads meet their specific needs and priorities. It will make road infrastructure more inclusive, considering the needs of vulnerable sections like persons with disabilities, elderly and marginalised.
  • Technological Integration: utilisation of technology for efficient project monitoring, like GPS tracking and remote sensing, to ensure transparency and accountability in the execution of projects.
  • Environmental considerations: application of eco-friendly practices such as using recycled materials for construction can be done to promote sustainable development. Also, there can be a provision for environmental impact assessment before undertaking construction.
  • Public Private Partnership: Encourage private participation through PPP models to leverage additional resources, expertise, and innovation. This will help overcome financial crunch and effective utilisation of human resources.
  • Integration with other schemes or mission to prevent wastage of resources. For example, it can be implemented along with digital India mission by laying down fiber optic cables alongside roads to improve internet access in rural areas.