Lok Sabha Question No. 560 (STARRED), answered on 2018-04-05
Subject: Maintenance/Upkeep of Rural Roads
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: POONAMBEN HEMATBHAI MAADAM

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 560

TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.04.2018

## MAINTENANCE/UPKEEP OF RURAL ROADS

## *560.   SHRIMATI POONAMBEN MAADAM:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  any  policy  has  been  framed  for  maintenance  and  upkeep  of  rural  roads constructed  under  the  flagship  programme  Pradhan  Mantri  Gram  Sadak  Yojana (PMGSY);
- (b) whether  the  Government  has  communicated  to  the  States  to  come  up  with  a comprehensive policy to maintain roads in their States as rural road is a State subject;
- (c) if so, the details of the States that have already framed policies and the remaining ones from which the results/response are awaited along with the timeline for the same;
- (d) whether  the  second  phase  of  PMGSY  (PMGSY-II)  will  mandatorily  envisage consolidation of the existing rural road network to improve its overall efficiency; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

(a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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## Statement referred to in reply to Parts (a) to (e) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 560  for answer on 05.04.2018.

(a) to (c): 'Rural Roads' is a State subject and  Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) is a one-time special intervention to provide rural connectivity, by way of a single all-weather road, to the eligible unconnected habitations in the core network.  Maintenance of roads constructed under the  programme  is  the  responsibility  of  the  State  Governments.  Ministry  of  Rural  Development (MoRD)  in  consultation  with  World  Bank  and  the  International  Labour  Organisation  (ILO)  is providing technical assistance to the States on policy, management and contracting components of rural roads maintenance.  A standard template of Rural Road Maintenance Policy (RRMP) and a guidance  note  have  already  circulated  to  all  the  States  and  also  available  on  the  homepage  of PMGSY website (pmgsy.nic.in).  Based on these documents, the States are required to formulate and implement State Rural Road Maintenance Policies to suit State specific needs. So far, 23 States (Andhra  Pradesh,  Arunachal  Pradesh,  Assam,  Bihar,  Chhattisgarh,  Haryana,  Himachal  Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Odisha, Punjab,  Rajasthan,  Sikkim,  Tamil  Nadu,  Uttar  Pradesh,  Uttarakhand  and  West  Bengal)  have notified State specific RRMP. Further, with effect from the financial year 2016-17, the Ministry has decided  to  award  financial  incentives  to  top  performing  States,  with  the  condition  that  such incentives are to be utilized for periodic maintenance of PMGSY roads.

(d) & (e): Ministry  of  Rural  Development  (MoRD)  had  launched  PMGSY  -II  in  2013-14, which  mainly  focuses  on  the  up-gradation  of  Through  routes  and  Main  Rural  Links  catering  to large population by connecting population over a large area and which act as a collectors of traffic from smaller  roads  and  such  roads  would  provide  access  to  growth  centers  and  pass  through  or terminate in a Rural Hub.

Under  PMGSY  II,  roads  already  constructed/upgraded  under  PMGSY-I  are  eligible  on completion of design life and on the basis of capacity requirement to accommodate traffic if it has gone  beyond  the  projected  traffic  and  such  traffic  cannot  be  accommodated  in  the  existing carriageway width, with the required level of service. The deteriorated condition of the road due to non  maintenance  or  non-undertaking  of  renewal  works  at  the  required  time  cannot  become  a criterion for taking the roads of PMGSY-I in PMGSY-II.  A target length of 50,000 Kms has been allocated to all the States under PMGSY- II.  Till date, 13 States transited to PMGSY-II.  Out of total target of 50,000 km, upto Feb. 2018, 32,110 km road length has been cleared and 14,196 km road length has already been constructed by these States.