Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana

Why in news?

• Cabinet approves continuation of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana-I and II up to September 2022.
• The cabinet also approved the continuation of Road Connectivity Project for Left Wing Extremism Affected Areas (RCPLWEA) upto March, 2023.

About Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana:

• It was launched to provide connectivity to unconnected habitations.
• This Centrally Sponsored Scheme was introduced in 2000
• The PMGSY is under the authority of the Ministry of Rural Development.
• Since then the Project has been expanded under three Phases. All the phases of PMGSY run simultaneously with different objectives.
  • Phase I was launched with an objective to provide single all-weather road connectivity to eligible unconnected habitation of designated population size (500+ in plain areas and 250+ in North-East, hill, tribal and desert areas, 00 - 249 population in LWE districts as per Census, 2001) for overall socio-economic development of the areas.
  • In Phase II the roads already built for village connectivity was to be upgraded to enhance rural infrastructure.
  • The Phase-III of PMGSY aims at consolidation of 1 lakh 25 thousand Kilometres of Rural Links that connect habitations to Gramin Agricultural Markets, Higher Secondary Schools and Hospitals.
  • Phase III will be implemented for the period 2019-20 to 2024-25.

Funding pattern

• Funding pattern for the scheme will be 60:40 between Centre and the States. For North-East and the Himalayan States, the ratio will be 90:10.

Road Connectivity Project for Left Wing Extremism Area:

• Government launched Road Connectivity Project for Left Wing Extremism affected Areas in the year 2016 as a separate vertical under PMGSY to provide all-weather road connectivity with necessary culverts and cross-drainage structures in 44 LWE affected districts, which are critical from security and communication point of view.

Add ons:

• The PMGSY shall cover only the rural areas. Urban roads are excluded from the purview of this Programme. Even in the rural areas, PMGSY covers only the Rural Roads i.e., Roads that were formerly classified as ‘Other District Roads’ (ODR) and ‘Village Roads’ (VR).
• The PMGSY envisages only single road Connectivity to be provided. If a Habitation is already connected by way of an All-weather road, then no new work can be taken up under the PMGSY for that habitation.

PRACTICE QUESTION

Which of the following statements are correct regarding ‘Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana’?

1. Urban roads are excluded from the purview of this Programme

2. It is under the authority of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer