Lok Sabha Question No. 4435 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-23
Subject: Roads in Tribal Areas
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Gajendra Singh Patel

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4435 ANSWERED ON 23.03.2021

## ROADS IN TRIBAL AREAS

## 4435.   SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH PATEL:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether any new road projects in tribal hamlets and Majras in the tribal areas at village level are under consideration; and
- (b) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SADHVI NIRANJAN JYOTI)

(a) to (b) 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  of  designated  population  size    in  the  core  network  for uplifting  the  socio-economic  condition  of  the  entire  rural  population.  As  per  the  programme guidelines, while in plain areas, unconnected rural habitations with population of 500 and above (as per 2001 census) have been targeted for providing all-weather road connectivity, in NorthEastern  and  Himalayan  States,  Tribal  (Schedule-V)  areas  and  Selected  Tribal  and  Backwards Districts (as identified by the Ministry of Home  Affairs and Planning Commission), unconnected habitations with a population of 250 persons and above (as per Census 2001) are eligible for all-weather road connectivity under the scheme. In the critical Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected blocks (as identified by MHA), additional relaxation has been given to connect eligible habitations with population 100 persons and above (as per Census 2001).

As is evident from above, North Eastern and Himalayan areas, as also the Tribal (Schedule V) areas and selected Tribal and Backward districts, where sizeable Tribal population resides have already been given relaxation under the programme so as to improve accessibility in these areas and benefit tribal population.

Against 1,78,184 eligible habitations of 250+ and 500+ population size identified for coverage under the scheme, 16,086 habitations have been provided connectivity by the States out of their own resources and 4,689 habitations have either been dropped or have not been found feasible due  to  various  reasons.  Out  of  the  balance  1,57,409  habitations  sanctioned  for  providing connectivity under the PMGSY, 1,54,676 have already been connected by all-weather roads and the  balance  2,733  habitations  are  targeted  for  connectivity  by  March,  2022.    Under  100-249 population category habitations in LWE areas, out of 6,286 habitations sanctioned for providing all-weather road connectivity, 5,565 habitations have been provided all-weather road connectivity  and  balance  721  habitations  are  targeted  for  all-weather  road  connectivity  by March, 2022.

At  present  four  interventions/verticals  viz.  PMGSY-I  for  providing  connectivity  to  eligible habitations; PMGSY-II- to upgrade 50,000 Kms  of the existing rural road network to improve its  overall  efficiency  as  a  provider  of  transportation  services  for  people,  goods  and  services; Road  Connectivity Project for Left  Wing  Extremism  Affected  Areas  (RCPLWEA)  for construction/upgradation of strategically important roads; and   PMGSY-III for consolidation of 1,25,000  Km  Through  Routes  and  Major  Rural  Links  connecting  habitations,  inter-alia,  to Gramin  Agricultural  Markets  (GrAMs),  Higher  Secondary  Schools  and  Hospitals,  are  under progress.    A  total  of  6,54,784  km  road  length  has  been  constructed  under  the  various interventions/verticals of the scheme across the country and tribal areas of the country have also benefitted with the accessibility provided under PMGSY.

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