Lok Sabha Question No. 1088 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-02-08
Subject: Ensuring Quality of Roads under PMGSY
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Pratyusha Rajeshwari Singh

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1088

TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.02.2018

## ENSURING QUALITY OF ROADS UNDER PMGSY

## 1088.   SHRIMATI PRATYUSHA RAJESHWARI SINGH:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether deficiencies have been observed despite mechanism in place to ensure quality and  durability  of  roads  constructed  under  the  Pradhan  Mantri  Gram  Sadak  Yojana (PMGSY)  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  corrective  measures  taken  in  this regard;
- (b) whether  any  criteria  has  been  laid  down  for  selection  of  agencies  for  undertaking contract and preparing Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) under the PMGSY and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the  targets  set  and  achievements  made  under  the  scheme  during  Twelfth  Five  Year Plan; and
- (d) the number of rural habitations which are yet to be covered along with the steps taken by the Government to cover the remaining areas?

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

(a) : '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.  PMGSY  is executed  through  State  Rural  Roads  Development  Agency  (SRRDA)  at  State  level  and Programme Implementation Units (PIUs) at district levels and timely completion of PMGSY roads is the responsibility of the respective State Government. The PMGSY is an extremely well-structured programme. A three-tier Quality Control mechanism viz. Project Inspection Unit  (PIU),  State  Quality  Monitors  (SQM)  and  National  Quality  Monitors  (NQM)  is envisaged under the PMGSY for ensuring construction of quality road works and durability of  road  assets  under  PMGSY.  This  system  also  detects  deficiencies  in  material  and workmanship of PMGSY roads and such deficiencies are promptly brought to the notice of the State Government for rectification.

During the year 2016-17, 7634 number of NQM inspections were conducted, out of which  1107  projects  (14.50%)  were  initially  found  to  be  deficient  on  quality  parameters. During the current year 2017-18 (up to January, 2018), 7251 numbers of NQM inspections were conducted out of which 963 (13.28%) projects were initially found deficient on quality parameters. As soon as the work is reported deficient on quality parameters, the PIU gets the defects rectified by the contractor and the detailed Action Taken Report (ATR) supported by test results and photographic records, after rectification is furnished to National Rural Road Development  Agency  (NRRDA)  through  SRRDA.  After  taking  into  account  the  Action Taken Reports (ATR) furnished by the States, the unsatisfactory percentage of projects for year 2016-17 is 3.18% and for year 2017-18 (up-to January 2018), it is 3.79%.  The systemic issues  emerging  form  inspections  are  closely  monitored  and  reviewed  with  the  States Concerned  during  periodic  regional  review  meetings  and  Pre-Empowered  /  Empowered Committee Meetings.

- (b) : The  States  are  required  to  follow  the  Standard  Bidding  Documents  (SBDs), which  has  been  prepared  by  the  NRRDA,  Ministry  of  Rural  Development  for  selection  of Agencies  engaged  for  preparation  of  Detailed  Project  Reports  (DPRs)  and  execution  of works.
- (c) : Under PMGSY, during 12 th Five  Year  Plan,  the  targets  set  and achievement made in terms of number of habitation connectivity and road length constructed are as under:
- (d) : The  number  of  eligible  unconnected  habitations  as  per  the  Core  Network under PMGSY is 1,78,184, out of which 1, 30,974 habitations have been connected till 31 st December,2017.  The  States  have  further  reported  that  about  14,620  habitations,  which  are part  of  the  original  core  network  of  PMGSY,  have  also  been  connected  through  State Sponsored Schemes, bringing the total connectivity to 1,45,594.  The Government of India has  taken  a  decision  to  accelerate  execution  of  all-weather  road  connectivity  to  eligible habitations  thereby  substantially  complete  the  habitation  connectivity  as  per  the  Core Network of PMGSY  by March, 2019.

| Item                          | Habitations in Nos.   | Road length in Km.   |
|-------------------------------|-----------------------|----------------------|
| Target                        | 37,365                | 1,61,186             |
| Achievements upto March, 2017 | 43,553                | 1,69,710             |

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