Lok Sabha Question No. 3852 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-01-03
Subject: Works Supervised under PMGSY
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: DODDAALAHALLI KEMPEGOWDA SURESH, NALIN KUMAR KATEEL

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3852

TO BE ANSWERED ON 03.01.2019

## WORKS SUPERVISED UNDER PMGSY

## 3852.   SHRI D.K. SURESH:

## SHRI NALIN KUMAR KATEEL:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  the  works  under  Pradhan  Mantri  Gram  Sadak Yojana  (PMGSY) need  to  be  supervised/monitored  effectively  to  ensure  that  the  rural roads achieve the objective for which they are constructed;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has taken adequate measures to ensure that the projects under PMGSY are completed as per the time-frame;
- (d) if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether the Government has also taken steps to ensure that the width of carriage way, gradient of the roads and shoulders are addressed properly; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto?

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

(a)& (b): The  construction  of  rural  works  under  Pradhan  Mantri  Gram  Sadak  Yojana (PMGSY) is regularly  reviewed  by  way  of  Regional  Review  Meetings  (RRMs),  Performance Review Committee (PRC) Meetings & Pre-Empowered/Empowered Committee Meetings with the States. In addition to this, special review meetings are also held by Secretary/ Joint Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development with Chief Secretaries/Principal Secretaries of the States.  The progress is also reviewed during the field visits by the Ministry officials.

For  effective  monitoring  of  road  works  constructed  under  PMGSY,  an  On-line  Management, Monitoring  and  Accounting  System  (OMMAS) (www.omms.nic.in) has  also  been  developed. Further, the Government has decided to use geo- informatics using satellite imagery, on a real time basis, to verify the progress of implementation of PMGSY as reported electronically by the States.

PMGSY  has  a  very  well  structured  three-tiered  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.  Under the first tier, the Programme Implementation Units (PIUs) are required to ensure process control through mandatory tests on material and workmanship at field laboratory.    The  second  tier  is  a  structured  independent  quality  monitoring  at  the  State  level through State Quality Monitors (SQMs) to ensure that every work is inspected at initial stage, middle  stage  and  final  stage  of  the  construction.    Under  the  third  tier,  independent  National Quality Monitors (NQMs) are deployed for random inspection of road works to monitor quality and  also  to  provide  guidance  of  senior  professionals  to  the  field  functionaries.  Based  on  the periodic  monitoring  of  quality  of  roads  under  the  3-tier  mechanism,  corrective  measures, wherever necessary, are taken by the State Governments.

Further, the Ministry has launched 'Meri Sadak' Mobile App for Citizen Feed Back System for PMGSY roads on 20 th July, 2015 for citizens to enable them to submit their feedback related to slow  pace,  abandoned  works,  poor  quality  of  works  of  PMGSY  roads  by  way  of  capturing roads/bridges photographs. The Nodal Officers are required to provide an interim reply to the citizen within 7 days from the receipt of the feedbacks. A final Action Taken Report is required to be submitted to the citizen within a period of 60 days.

The Ministry has also launched a comprehensive system of National Level Monitors (NLMs) for independent monitoring of its programmes including the PMGSY.

(c)& (d): Rural  Roads  is  a  State  subject  and  timely  completion  of  PMGSY  roads  is  the responsibility  of  the  respective  State  Governments.  State  Governments  are  advised  through various  Regional  Review  meetings  &  Empowered  Committee  meetings  to  take  suitable necessary action to ensure timely completion of road works under PMGSY. The following steps in this regard have been taken by the Ministry:

- i. States have been requested to augment executing capacity and contracting capacity and their compliance in this regard is regularly reviewed.
- ii. Bidding document provisions have been rationalized.
- iii. Training is imparted to field engineers and contractors as well as their staff for capacity building.

(e)& (f): The roads sanctioned under PMGSY is as per the specifications for rural roads developed  by  Indian  Road  Congress  (IRC)  and  also  the  standard  prescribed  in  Rural  Roads Manual (IRC-SP:20:2002).

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