Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)

The Central Government of India implemented Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) to improve rural connectivity. This scheme came into effect on 25th December 2000. It is a 100% centrally sponsored scheme that takes money from a High-Speed Diesel cess. However, since 2015-2016 this scheme has been funded partially by Central and State governments.

This article will look at some details regarding the same.

What Is Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)?

Rural connectivity has always been a problem in India. There are still many villages and rural habitations that all-weather roads do not connect. Moreover, these roads do not undergo maintenance, nor do they consist of using high-quality building materials.

Therefore, to combat this issue which could potentially lead to poverty alleviation in rural areas, the Indian Government started the PMGSY scheme or the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.

Objectives of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)

The primary objective of Pradhan Mantri Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) concerns building robust, all-weather roads in rural habitations and other core areas.

What Are the Features of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)?

Some prominent features of the Pradhan Mantri Gram SadakYojana are -

Proper decentralised planning for the building of roads.
Build roads according to the Indian Road Congress and Rural Roads Manual.
3-tier quality management system.
An unbroken flow of funds.

Eligibility Criteria for Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)

A region must be a habitation. It cannot be a hamlet or revenue village to be eligible for the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).

The Central Government describes habitation as a population cluster residing within an area that remains constant over time. Some of the local words used to describe a habitation are:

Majras
Desam
Hamlets
Tolas
Dhanis

The hamlet must have a higher population as per the 2001 Census to be eligible for road connection. The eligible habitations have a population of above 500 persons in plain areas and around 250 persons and above in hilly areas.

What Are the Benefits of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)?

The benefits of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) are -

All-weather connection to the hamlets that are least or not connected.
Overall Development of the country allows for easy movement of goods and vehicles.
There are better employment opportunities for those from villages thanks to the road connections.

Who Selects Habitations Eligible for PMGSY?

Panchayati Rajs and elected local representatives decide which habitations to be selected for the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.

What Are the Challenges Faced by Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana?

The primary challenge faced is the lack of funds available. The Central government funds are already pretty stretched. Hence, the Government does not allocate money to this scheme.
There is an excess wastage of materials due to a lack of proper planning.
Moreover, there is an inconsistent working season in hilly areas. Hence, the construction of roads often undergoes delay and incurs additional costs.
Since there is a waste in the materials, the projects often exceed their budget.
Lastly, labour no longer comes cheap, and the workers decide whether it is worth their time to work on the project or not.

Funding Pattern of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana

This scheme was centrally funded only up to 2015-16. Since then, the funds have been divided between the Centre and the State.

Area	Funding
North Eastern and Himalayan States (Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh)	90% of a project the Union Government funds and 10% of this cost, State Government funds.
Other States	The Union Government funds around 60% of a project while the remaining 40% by State Government funds.

To sum up, this was all about the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. Hence, individuals can contact their nearest Panchayati Raj to build roads in their villages. Moreover, the Government’s intervention has facilitated connections of certain least connected villages with towns and cities.

Frequently Asked Questions

✓ How are habitations selected for this scheme?

Panchayati Raj institutions and elected representatives order habitations according to priority and choose the habitations through a consultative process.

✓ What do all-weather roads mean?

All-weather roads are those that individuals can drive on notwithstanding the season. These streets do not have to be paved with blacktopping or cement concrete. A gravel road can also be an all-weather road.