Lok Sabha Question No. 584 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-02-06
Subject: Maintenance of Roads under PMGSY
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Devji Mansingram Patel

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 584 ANSWERED ON 06/02/2024

## MAINTENANCE OF ROADS UNDER PMGSY

## 584.  SHRI DEVJI M. PATEL:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether thousands of kilometers of rural roads constructed under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) in the country get damaged every year due to poor maintenance;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the reasons for the lack of provisions for maintenance of PMGSY roads; and
- (c) the fresh steps being taken by the Government for regular maintenance of the said roads to ensure that the roads remain serviceable for their prescribed life?

## ANSWER

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

- (a)  to  (c):          Rural  road  is  a  State  Subject.  As  per  Pradhan  Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) guidelines, maintenance of roads constructed  under  the  programme  is  the  responsibility  of  the  State governments.   However,  the  Ministry  on  its part has  taken  the following  steps/measures to  ensure  proper  maintenance  of  roads constructed under PMGSY:
- (i)  All road works sanctioned under the scheme are covered by initial five  year  maintenance  contracts  to  be  entered  into  along  with  the construction contract, with the same contractor, as per the Standard Bidding Document.
- (ii)   Maintenance  funds  to  service  the  contract  are  required  to  be budgeted by the State Governments and placed at the disposal of the

State  Rural  Roads  Development  Agencies  (SRRDAs)  in  a  separate maintenance  account.  On  expiry  of  this  5  year  post  construction maintenance,  PMGSY  roads  are  required  to  be  placed  under  Zonal maintenance  contracts  consisting  of  5  year  maintenance  including renewal as per maintenance cycle, from time to time, to be funded by the state governments. (iii) Further in order to ensure that States provide required maintenance funds during the design life of the road being constructed under  PMGSY-III,  a  provision  has  been  added  in  the  programme guidelines under which the states have to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India  before  launching  of  the  scheme  in  the  concerned  state  for providing  adequate  funds  for  the  maintenance  of  roads  constructed/ upgraded under PMGSY for initial five years routine maintenance, and for further five year routine maintenance including periodic renewal as per requirement. (iv)  Release  of  maintenance  funds  is  required  to  be  certified  by  the State, as per PMGSY  guidelines, while submitting fund release proposals to the Central Government.

(v)   Electronic  Maintenance  of  PMGSY  roads  (eMARG),  an  online platform, has been implemented in all the States to monitor maintenance  of  PMGSY  works  for  five years from the date of completion (i.e. under Defect Liability Period-DLP).

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