Lok Sabha Question No. 2722 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-16
Subject: All-weather Roads under PMGSY
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Smt. Krishna Devi Shivshankar Patel

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2722 ANSWERED ON 16/12/2025

## ALL-WEATHER ROADS UNDER PMGSY

2722. Smt. Krishna Devi Shivshankar Patel:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether many Gram Panchayats in Banda, Chitrakoot, Manikpur and surrounding rural areas are yet to be connected with allweather roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY);
- (b) if  so,  the  details  of  the  number  of  roads  sanctioned  under PMGSY,  status  of  roads under construction and  projects completed in these districts during the last five years;
- (c) whether it is also a fact that the quality of many rural roads is poor and they often develop problems like potholes, breakages or waterlogging soon after construction; and
- (d) if so, the action taken against the erring construction agencies/contractors and the guidelines issued by the Government to ensure quality?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI KAMLESH PASWAN)

(a) & (b): The Ministry of Rural Development, through the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), maintains a sustained focus on achieving  universal  all-weather  road  connectivity  for  all  eligible habitations in the rural areas of the country, including the districts of Banda, Chitrakoot, and the surrounding regions of Uttar Pradesh.

While  PMGSY-I  successfully  connected  the  vast  majority  of eligible habitations as per the population norms of Census 2001, the Government has executed PMGSY-III to consolidate the existing rural road network. This involved upgrading important Through Routes and Major Rural Links that connect habitations  to  key  socio-economic

hubs  like  Gramin  Agricultural  Markets  (GrAMs),  higher  secondary schools,  and  hospitals,  thereby,  further  enhancing  the  all-weather access for the populace.

To  give  fillip  to  the  ongoing  process,  the  Government  has launched PMGSY-IV, which is specifically designed to provide new connectivity to the balance unconnected eligible habitations as per the population norms of the Census 2011. This forward-looking phase ensures  that  any  few  residual  eligible  habitations,  or  those  newly eligible under revised norms, will be covered to achieve the complete saturation of rural road connectivity as per the population norms of PMGSY.

Details of works sanctioned and completed in Banda and Chitrakoot districts during the last five years is given as under :-

| District   | Sanctioned   | Sanctioned        | Completed    | Completed      | Balance      | Balance        | Habitation   |
|------------|--------------|-------------------|--------------|----------------|--------------|----------------|--------------|
|            | No. roads    | of Length (in Km) | No. of roads | Length (in Km) | No. of roads | Length (in Km) | benefitted   |
| Banda      | 21           | 163.37            | 21           | 162.38         | 0            | 0              | 124          |
| Chitrakoot | 13           | 93.99             | 9            | 66.73          | *4           | 27.26          | 66           |
| Total      | 34           | 257.36            | 30           | 229.11         | 4            | 27.26          |              |

(c) & (d): While  the  Government  strives  for  good  quality  in  all executed works, however, instances have come to notice that some road  infrastructure,  occasionally  face  maintenance  issues  like potholes or surface wear due to factors such as heavy, unanticipated traffic loads or extreme weather variations. To proactively address any such occurrences and safeguard the significant investment made in  rural  connectivity,  the  Government  has  established  a  robust, institutionalized framework focusing on both quality control during construction and accountability after completion.

To  guarantee  the  longevity  and  quality  of  rural  roads,  the Government  has  institutionalized a rigorous Three-Tier Quality Management Mechanism under PMGSY, along with strict enforcement measures against any deviation.

(i) All PMGSY  roads are covered by a mandatory five-year maintenance contract with the construction agency/contractor. The contractor  is  contractually  obliged  to  rectify  any  defects  (like potholes or breakages) that arise during this maintenance period at their own cost.

- (ii) Payments are strictly linked to quality. If a road work is graded as 'Unsatisfactory' by independent quality monitors, payments, including the security deposit, are withheld until all defects are fully rectified and certified by quality monitors.
- (iii) The State Governments are mandated to initiate strong punitive actions  against  defaulting  contractors/construction  agencies.  This includes  forfeiture  of  security  deposits,  imposition  of  Liquidated Damages (LD), and  debarment of  the  agency  from  participating  in future  works,  thereby  establishing  a  high  degree  of  accountability across the supply chain.
- (iv)  The  Ministry  has  also  implemented  advanced  guidelines  and systems to ensure construction quality:
- (a)  Three-Tier  Quality  Mechanism:  This  robust  mechanism  ensures independent checks at every stage:
-  Tier I: Mandatory Process Control and Testing by the Contractor and the  Project  Implementation  Unit  (PIU)  through  dedicated field laboratories. The PIU Head is responsible for mandatory site inspections.
-  Tier II: State Quality Monitors (SQMs) conduct systematic and periodic independent inspections of works at the Initial, Middle, and Final stages of construction.
-  Tier  III:  National  Quality  Monitors  (NQMs)  deployed  by  the National  Rural  Infrastructure  Development  Agency  (NRIDA) perform a crucial oversight role through independent random inspection of works across the country.
- (b): Technology  Integration:  The  Online  Management,  Monitoring and Accounting System (OMMAS) and the Quality Monitoring System (QMS) App are utilized to capture geo-tagged photographs and realtime inspection reports. This ensures transparency and enables the Ministry to issue prompt directives for corrective action.

(c): Citizen Engagement: The 'Meri Sadak' Mobile App provides an effective channel for citizens to provide feedback and register quality concerns, which are then escalated to the concerned authorities for time-bound resolution.

This comprehensive approach ensures that PMGSY roads are built to last  and  provides  reliable,  durable  connectivity  for  the  overall development of rural India.

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Annexure Annexure referred to in reply to parts (a) & (b) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2722 dated 16.12.2025

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| Sr. No .   | Block Name   | Packag e No.   | Sanctione d Year   | Road Name / Bridge Name                                     | Connectivit y (New / Upgrade)   | Sanction Cost   | State Cost   |   Road Length (Kms) | Expendit ure Till Date Stage of Progress   |
|------------|--------------|----------------|--------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------|-----------------|--------------|---------------------|--------------------------------------------|
| 1          | Manikpu r    | UP1995         | 2021 - 2022        | MRL08- Khoh Manikpur road to Rampuriy a Link Road           | Upgarde                         | 703.68          | 284.83       |               7.2   | 0.00 Progress                              |
| 2          | Mau          | UP1984         | 2021 - 2022        | MRL14- Bargarh madha Road to Dubi Link Road                 | Upgarde                         | 932.19          | 377.73       |               8.238 | 0.00 Progress                              |
| 3          | Pahari       | UP1986         | 2021 - 2022        | MRL15- Rajapur Kamasin Road to Bhagat Purwa Link Road       | Upgarde                         | 681.42          | 276.10       |               6.375 | 363.82 Progress                            |
| 4          | Pahari       | UP1987         | 2021 - 2022        | MRL12- Archha Barethi- Kamsin Road to Dobin Purwa Link Road | Upgarde                         | 639.58          | 259.07       |               5.4   | 236.99 Progress                            |
| Total      | Total        | Total          | Total              | Total                                                       | Total                           | 2,956.87        | 1,197.73     |              27.213 | 600.81                                     |

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