Lok Sabha Question No. 59 (STARRED), answered on 2026-02-03
Subject: Korangotta Island Bridge under PMGSY in Kerala
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Hibi Eden

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 59 ANSWERED ON 03/02/2026

## KORANGOTTA ISLAND BRIDGE UNDER PMGSY IN KERALA

## *59.  Shri Hibi Eden:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether any proposal for the construction of Korangotta Island Bridge, Ernakulam, Kerala has been received by the Government for consideration under the Pradhan Mantri Gram SadakYojana (PMGSY);
- (b) if  so,  whether  the  Government  has  included  the  Korangotta Island Bridge project under PMGSY, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government is aware of the long-standing demand for the construction of a bridge connecting Korangotta Island in Cheranalloor Gram Panchayat to the mainland;
- (d) whether  any  timeline  has  been  fixed  for  the  approval  and execution  of  the  Korangotta  Island  Bridge  project  and  if  not, the reasons for the delay despite repeated representations;
- (e) whether the Government has taken any steps in line with the objectives of inclusive rural development; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI SHIVRAJ SINGH CHOUHAN)

- (a) to (f):       A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (f) OF LOK SABHA  STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  *59  TO  BE  ANSWERED  ON 03.02.2026REGARDING 'KORANGOTTA  ISLAND BRIDGE UNDER PMGSY IN KERALA'

(a) to (d): To  address  connectivity  gaps  arising  from  population growth since  the  programme's  inception,  the  Government  of  India launched  PMGSY-IV  on  September  11,  2024.  This  phase  aims  to construct 62,500 km of roads to connect 25,000 eligible habitations by  March  2029.  As  per  the  programme  guidelines,  eligibility  is strictly determined based on the 2011 Census population norms. A fundamental prerequisite for coverage under PMGSY-IV is that the habitation  must  be  currently  unconnected;  any  habitation  already served  by  an  all-weather  road  is  ineligible  for  new  connectivity under this phase.

The State of Kerala submitted data for Korangotta habitation in the Edappally Block  of Ernakulam  District.  This  data  was captured  via  the  Gram  Sadak  Survey  App,  a  GIS-based  digital platform specifically developed to ensure transparent and accurate field  mapping  of  rural  connectivity.  The  proposal  underwent  a rigorous  verification  process  by  the  National  Rural  Infrastructure Development Agency (NRIDA), the technical arm of the Ministry of Rural Development. GIS mapping confirmed that Korangotta habitation is already served by an existing all-weather road. Since the  primary  objective  of  PMGSY-IV  is  to  provide  "first-time"  allweather connectivity to unconnected settlements, Korangotta habitation does not meet the essential eligibility criteria. Consequently, the proposal for the inclusion of Korangotta habitation under PMGSY-IV has not been considered.

(e) &(f): While 'Rural Roads' is a State subject, the Pradhan Mantri Gram SadakYojana (PMGSY) was launched in December 2000 as a one-time special intervention by the Central Government. Its primary mandate is to provide single all-weather road connectivity to eligible unconnected habitations of a designated population size. Over the years, the program's scope has expanded through several specialized  verticals,  including  PMGSY-II,  the  Road  Connectivity Project for Left Wing Extremism Affected Areas (RCPLWEA), PMGSYIII, and the Pradhan Mantri Jan JatiAdivasiNyayaMahaAbhiyan (PMJANMAN).

Further to address the connectivity gaps arising from population growth since the programme's inception, the Government launched PMGSY-IV on September 11, 2024. This phase aims  to  construct  62,500  km  of  roads  to  connect  25,000  eligible habitations  by  March  2029.  Eligibility  is  determined  based  on  the 2011 Census.

The construction of Culverts/Causeways and Bridges is allowed  only  on  the  roads  approved  under  this  programme.  The proposal for Long Span Bridges (LSBs) (maximum length of 150 m in normal  areas  and  200  m  in  special  areas)  are  covered  under  this programme. Only those Long Span Bridges are sanctioned which fall on  the  alignment  of  the  roads  sanctioned  under  the  scheme. Sanction of standalone bridges is not covered under the scheme.

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