Lok Sabha Question No. 5248 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-24
Subject: Maintenance and Repair of Rural Roads
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. 5248 ANSWERED ON 24/03/2026

## MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR OF RURAL ROADS

5248. Smt. Krishna Devi Shivshankar Patel:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether several roads in the rural areas constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana has turned dilapidated at numerous points and essentially call for timely maintenance and repair, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the number of new roads constructed including those subjected to  reconstruction/strengthening  (upgradation)  in  the  country during the last three years, State-wise particularly including in Uttar Pradesh;
- (c) whether the Government has approved any fresh proposal and special package for the strengthening/widening of the old roads and construction of new rural roads;
- (d) if so, the details thereof including the Budget approved for the same; and
- (e) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  enforce  any  stringent provisions  to  ensure  the  maintenance  of  roads  for  a  certain period in the wake of quality control and construction work?

## ANSWER

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

(a): '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 in the core network. Maintenance of roads constructed under the programme is the responsibility of the State Governments  and  all  road  works  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. 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  the  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, which are also financed by the state governments.

Besides the above, several measures have been adopted to ensure the durability of the roads being constructed under the scheme. The details are as follows:

- i.  Roads  under  PMGSY  are  constructed  following  the  Indian Roads  Congress  (IRC)  standards  and  specifications  to  ensure high quality.
- ii.  Innovative  and  sustainable  construction  techniques  are increasingly adopted for roads in challenging terrains.
- iii.  In  light  of  climate  change  impacts,  efforts  are  focused  on designing roads that can withstand extreme weather conditions. This  includes  improved  drainage  systems,  disaster-resilient structures, and alignment planning to minimise vulnerabilities. iv. Training programs are organised for engineers and contractors  to  familiarise  them  with  the  latest  technologies, materials.
4. (b): During the last three years, the details of roads constructed/upgraded across the country, including in the state of Uttar Pradesh  under various verticals of PMGSY, are given below: -

Details of road constructed in the country, including Uttar Pradesh

| Financial Year   | Number of Roads   | Length (Km)   |
|------------------|-------------------|---------------|
| 2022-23          | 6,073             | 29,733.45     |
| 2023-24          | 4,442             | 26,099.69     |
| 2024-25          | 2,830             | 18,108.36     |

Details of the road constructed in the State of Uttar Pradesh

| Financial Year   |   Number of Roads | Length (Km)   |
|------------------|-------------------|---------------|
| 2022-23          |               744 | 5,011.09      |
| 2023-24          |               911 | 6,798.80      |
| 2024-25          |               495 | 2,807.85      |

State-wise  details  may  be  accessed  at  the  programme  website https://pmgsy.dord.gov.in ->Progress Monitoring >Financial Year-wise

Achievement.

- (c) & (d): The  Government  has  recently  launched  Pradhan  Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana-IV (PMGSY-IV) for the period 2024-25 to 2028-29. This fresh intervention aims to provide all-weather connectivity to approximately 25,000 unconnected habitations through the construction of 62,500 km of new roads.

The total approved outlay for PMGSY-IV is Rs. 70,125 crore (Central Share: Rs. 49,087.50 crore; State Share: Rs. 21,037.50 crore). The eligibility  criteria  for  habitations  under  this  phase,  as  per  Census 2011, are:

- (i) Plains: 500+ population.
- (ii)  North  East,  Hill  States,  and  Special  Category  Areas:  250+ population.
- (iii) LWE-Affected Districts: 100+ population.

To ensure fiscal discipline and project sustainability, the Ministry has established the following robust mechanism for the release of funds:

- i. States/UTs must sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) committing to the full budgetary support for the initial 5-year post-construction  maintenance  and  the  subsequent  5-year renewal cycle.
- ii. The release of the Central Share is strictly conditional upon the timely  release  of  maintenance  funds  by  the  State.  For  fund proposals submitted after May, States must certify the release of  at  least  50%  of  the  annual  maintenance  requirement;  for proposals after November, 100% certification is mandatory.
- iii. Fund  flow  is  managed  through  the  SNA-SPARSH  system  to ensure real-time tracking, transparency, and utilisation-linked releases.
4. (e): The Government has already incorporated stringent provisions under the PMGSY to ensure maintenance of roads and adherence to quality standards. The key provisions are as follows:
- i. All PMGSY works are covered under a 5-year Defect Liability Period, during which the contractor is responsible for routine maintenance  of  the  road.  Any  defects  observed  during  this period must be rectified by the contractor at their own cost.
- ii. Maintenance during the DLP is linked with performance-based payments, ensuring that contractors maintain the road in good condition to receive payments.

- iii. After  completion  of  the  5-year  DLP,  the  responsibility  of maintenance is transferred to the respective State Governments. States are required to make adequate budgetary provisions for continued maintenance.
- iv. The  Government  has  implemented  the  eMARG  platform  to monitor maintenance activities, including post-5-year maintenance, ensuring transparency and accountability.
- v. A three-tier quality control system (PIU, State Quality Monitors, and  National  Quality  Monitors)  is  in  place  to  ensure  quality construction and maintenance of roads.
- vi. Stringent  penal  actions,  including  withholding  of  payments, recovery, and debarment of contractors, are enforced in cases of poor quality or failure to maintain roads as per standards.

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