Lok Sabha Question No. 3923 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-08-10
Subject: Connectivity of Rural Villages by Roadways
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: P.R. SUNDARAM, VIJAYSINH MOHITE PATIL, JAYAKUMAR JAYAVARDHAN, DHANANJAY BHIMRAO MAHADIK, RAJEEV SHANKARRAO SATAV, HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3923

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10 .08.2017

## CONNECTIVITY OF RURAL VILLAGES BY ROADWAYS

## 3923. SHRI P.R. SUNDARAM:

## SHRI MOHITE PATIL VIJAYSINH SHANKARRAO:

DR. J. JAYAVARDHAN:

SHRI DHANANJAY MAHADIK:

SHRI SATAV RAJEEV:

DR. HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT:

W ill the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state :

- (a) whetherthe Government has undertaken any scheme to promote connectivity of villages by roadways;
- (b) if so, the objectives and salient features of the scheme;
- (c) the challenges faced by the Government in the implementation of the scheme;
- (d) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to overcome the difficulties in the implementation of the scheme;
- (e) whether there is any improvement in the related indices after implementation of the scheme and if so, the details of the distribution of the related indices, State/UT - wise; and
- (f) whether  the  Government  proposes  any  other  action  plan  or  policy  for promoting connectivity of villages by roadways and if so, the details thereof, if any?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT ( SHRI RAM KRIPAL YADAV )

(a) to (d): 'Rural Roads' is a State Subject and the  Government of  India has launched Pradhan  Mantri  Gram  Sadak  Yojana  (PMGSY)  on  25 th December,  2000,  as  a  Centrally Sponsored Scheme, with the objective to provide a single all - weather road with necessary culverts and cross - drainage structures to the eligible unconnected habitations, existing i Core Network, in rural areas of country . The programme envisages connecting all eligible unconnected habitations with a population of 500 persons and above ( s per 2001 Census) in plain  areas  and  250  persons  and  above  (as  per  2001  Census)  in Special  Category  States (Arunachal  Pradesh,  Assam, Manipur,  Meghalaya,  Mizoram,  Nagaland,  Sikkim,Tripura Himachal  Pradesh,  Jammu  &  Kashmir  and  Uttarakhand),  Tribal  (Schedule - V)  areas,  the Desert Areas (as identified in Desert Development Programme) and in Selected Tribal an Backward Districts (as identi fied by the Ministry of Home Affairs/Planning Commission). The PMGSY permits upgradation (to prescribed standards) of existing rural roads in dis where all the eligible habitations of the designated population size have been prov weather road connectivity. For most intensive LWE blocks as identified by the Ministry of Home  Affairs,  the  unconnected  habitations  with  population  100  and  above  (as  per  20 Census) are also eligible for connectivity under PMGSY. The Government of India has also la unched PMGSY -IIwhich envisages consolidation of the existing Rural Road Network to improve its overall efficiency as a provider of transportation services for the peop and  services.  It  aims  to  cover upgradation of  existing  selected  rural  roads  ba sed  on  their economic potential and their role in facilitating the growth of rural market centers and rural hubs.

The roadways/transportation facilities on PMGSY and other rural roads are required to be provided by the r espective State Governments, hence no such data base is maintained at the Central level. However, keeping in view the transport ationneeds in the remote rural areas, the  Ministry  of  Rural  Development  has  conceived  a  scheme  called 'Aajeevika  Grameen Express Yojana (AGEY)'. The main object ives of AGEY are (i) to provide an a lternative source of livelihood to members of Self Help Groups (SHGs) by facilitating them to operate public  transport  services  in  backward  rural  areas  and  (ii)  to  provide  safe,  afford community  monitored  rural  t ransport  services  (e - rickshaws,  3  and  4  wheeler  motorised transport  vehicles)  to  connect  remote  villages  with  key  services  and  amenities  (inc access to markets, education and health) for the overall economic development of the . The sub - scheme is planned to be implemented in 250 blocks in the country on a pilot basis for a period of 3 years from 2017 - 18 to 2019 - 20.

(e) : Impact assessment studies of PMGSY has been conducted by several organizations like 'National Baseline Study Report for PMGSY' by Lea Associates South Asia Pvt Ltd in 2010, Poverty & Social Impact Assessment of PMGSY by World Bank in 2014, Impact of Improved  Rural  Road  Maintenance System  under  PMGSY  by  International  Labour Organization  (ILO)  in  2015, Study  on  Rural  Roads  and  morbidity  in  upland  Odisha  by University  of  Heidelberg  in  2015  and  Impact  Assessment  Study  of  PMGSY  including Gender in Rajasthan by Birla Institute of Techn ology & Science (BITS), Pilani in 2015. All the  above  studies  concluded  positive  impact  on  the  socio -economic  indices  due  to construction of rural roads.

(f) For accelerated execution of PMGSY in the States, the Ministry of Rural Development in consultat ion with the Ministry of Finance and the State Governments, has formulated an Action Plan to advance the completion target of the programme from 2022 2019  with  revised  fund  sharing  pattern. The  fund  sharing  pattern  of  PMGSY  has  been revised to the rati o of 60:40 between the centre and the States for all States except for 8 Eastern and 3 Himalayan States (Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand) for which it is be 90:10. Further, for execution of projects in a time bond manner, month d yearly completion targe ts have been fixed and are monitored regularly by the Ministry of Rural Development. State Governments are also advised through Regional Review Meetings and Empowered Committee Meeting s to  take  suitable  necessary  action  to  expedite timely completion of works under PMGSY.

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