Lok Sabha Question No. 2702 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-05
Subject: Road Networks in Rural Assam
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Md. Rakibul Hussain

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2702 ANSWERED ON 05/08/2025

## ROAD NETWORKS IN RURAL ASSAM

## 2702. Md. RakibulHussain:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  any  specific initiatives are being undertaken  to improve  rural  road  networks,  electricity  supply  and  water access in the villages of Assam;
- (b) the details of the measures taken by the Government to ensure the timely implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Gram SadakYojana (PMGSY) and other infrastructure schemes in the remote and inaccessible areas of Assam;
- (c) whether  there  are  any  targeted  programs  to  enhance  rural connectivity for the tea gardens and tribal regions of Assam; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b): Rural  Roads  is  a  State  subject.  Pradhan  Mantri  Gram SadakYojana (PMGSY) was launched on 25 th  December, 2000, as a one-time special intervention to assist the  States in providing allweather road connectivity  to  the  eligible  unconnected  habitations as  per  core-network  with  a  population  of   500+  persons  in  plain areas, 250+ in North-Eastern States, Himalayan States, the Desert areas  (as  identified  in  Desert  Development  programme),  Tribal (Schedule-V)  areas and  Selected  Tribal and  Backward  Districts (as  identified  by  the   Ministry  of   Home   Affairs  and  erstwhile Planning  Commission), as per census 2001.

Subsequently, new interventions/ verticals,  namely  PMGSY-II, Road Connectivity Project for Left Wing Extremism Areas (RCPLWEA) and PMGSY-III were added under the ambit of PMGSY

for upgradation of 50,000 Km rural roads; construction of strategically important roads in LWE Areas; and for consolidation of 1,25,000  Km  Through  Routes  and  Major  Rural  Links  connecting habitations to Gramin Agricultural Markets (GrAMs) Higher Secondary Schools and Hospitals; respectively.

Further,  the  Government  has  launched  PMGSY-IV  to  provide all-weather  road  connectivity  to  25,000  unconnected  habitations, which have become eligible due to their population increase. As per population norms of the programme,  unconnected habitations having  500+  population  in  plain  areas;  250+  in  North-Eastern  and Hilly States/UTs, Special Category Areas (Schedule V Tribal Areas, Aspirational  Districts/Blocks,  Desert  Areas);  and  100+  in  LWEaffected areas (as notified by MHA), as per Census 2011, are eligible for coverage under PMGSY-IV.

Since the inception of PMGSY, 9,269 road works of 32,911 Km and 1,466 bridge works have been sanctioned in Assam State, out of which,  construction  of  9,124  road  works  of  32,034  Km  and  1,423 bridges (more than 97%) has been completed with an expenditure of

Rs. 22,933.67 crore, including State share.

As regards PMGSY-IV, the preliminary identification of eligible habitations under PMGSY-IV has been completed, and the Ministry is  working  in  close  coordination  with  the  State  Government  to finalise and sanction proposals accordingly.

As  per  programme  guidelines,  the  timeline  for  completion  of road work is 12 working months from the date of issue of the work order. However, where  a package  comprises more  than one roadwork, the total time given for completion of the package is 18 calendar  months.  Similarly,  a  period  of  21-24  months  has  been allowed  for  completion  of  bridge  works  exceeding  25  meters  in length, depending on site conditions. States have been instructed to adhere  to  the  timelines  for  completion  of  sanctioned  projects. Further, the Ministry conducts regular monitoring and review meetings with States/UTs to track the progress of the projects and resolve  the  pending  issues.  The  Ministry  coordinates  with  other stakeholders, viz. Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Nodal Departments of the State Governments, State Forest Departments and executing agencies to resolve  the  bottlenecks  in  project  execution  and  to  ensure  timely implementation of the projects.

Electricity  is  a  concurrent  subject  and  therefore,  supply  and distribution of electricity to the consumers is within the purview of the respective State Government/ Power  Utility. However, the Government  of  India  has  supplemented  the  efforts  of  the  States earlier under the schemes like DeenDayalUpadhyaya Gram JyotiYojana  (DDUGJY),  Integrated  Power  Development  Scheme (IPDS), Pradhan MantriSahajBijliHarGharYojana (SAUBHAGYA), etc., and  presently  under Revamped Distribution  Sector  Scheme  (RDSS) to  help  improve  the  quality  and  reliability  of  power  supply  to consumers.  Under  the  scheme,  distribution  infrastructure  works amounting to Rs. 3,394.65 crore and smart metering works amounting to Rs. 4,049.54 crore have been sanctioned for the state of  Assam.  Furthermore,  under  RDSS,  grid  electrification  of  left-out households  has  been  taken  up.  To  date,  works  amounting  to  Rs. 785.55 crore have been sanctioned for the electrification of 1,27,111 households in the state of Assam.

The Government of India has been implementing the JalJeevan  Mission  (JJM)  since  August  2019,  in  partnership  with States,  to  make  provision  of  tap  water  supply  to  every  rural household  of  the  Country.  Drinking  water  is  a  State  subject  and hence,  the  responsibility  of  planning,  approval,  implementation, operation  and  maintenance  of  drinking  water  supply  schemes, including  those  under  JalJeevan  Mission,  lies  with  the  State  /  UT Government.  The  Government  of  India  supports  the  States  by providing technical and financial assistance.

Pradhan MantriAwaasYojanaGramin (PMAY-G) is being implemented w.e.f. 1st April, 2016, to construct 2.95 crore houses by  assisting  eligible  rural  households  with  basic  amenities.  The government has approved an additional 2 crore rural houses under PMAY-G to be constructed during FY 2024-25 to FY 2028-29 to meet the  arising  housing  requirements.  As  of  the  date,  the  target  of 29,87,868  houses  has  been  allocated  to  the  state  of  Assam,  with which its Permanent Wait List (both SECC and Awaas+2018 list) is now saturated. Of the total allocated target, 28,80,057 houses have been sanctioned, and 20,74,118 houses have been completed under PMAY-G. PMAY-G focuses on the provision of houses along with the basic needs of households through convergence with other Government Schemes. The Ministry  aims  at  saturation  of  benefits provided through convergence with schemes to all PMAY-G beneficiaries.  In  the  state  of  Assam,  21,25,950  houses  have  been provided  with  electricity  connection,  and  16,86,943  houses  have

been provided with water connection under convergence with other schemes.

- (c) & (d): PMGSY is designed as an area development programme, with  the  'habitation'  as  the  unit,  and  aims  to  provide  all-weather road  connectivity  to  eligible  habitations,  thereby  ensuring  access for  the  entire  population, those living in and around farm and nonfarm production centres. To ensure inclusive and equitable access in backwards and marginalised areas, PMGSY-IV is being implemented  in  convergence  with  two  flagship  inclusion-focused initiatives, namely:
- (i) DhartiAabaJanjatiya Gram UtkarshAbhiyan (DA-JGUA): Habitations with 500+ population and 50% or more ST population, or  habitations  with  50+  ST  population  in  the  250+  category  in Aspirational Districts, as per Census 2011, are given priority under PMGSY IV;
- (ii) Pradhan MantriAnusuchitJaatiAbhyudayYojana (PM-AJAY): Habitations with 500+ population and 40% or more SC population are given priority under PMGSY-IV.

*****