Lok Sabha Question No. 2866 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-08-06
Subject: Changes in PMGSY Guidelines
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: N.K. PREMACHANDRAN

## GOVERNMENTOF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL  DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT  OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## LOKSABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION  NO. 2866 TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.08.2015

## CHANGES IN PMGSY GUIDELINES

## 2866. SHRI N.K. PREMACHANDRAN:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEYELOPMENT  be pleased  to state:

- (a) whether  the Government proposes  to make  changes  in the guidelines of the^ Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yo.iana (PMGSY) considering the special circumstances  of different States and if so, the details  thereof;
- (c) *h"tf,". it " .r*"y ug"n"[, and the- imptementing  authorities are independent in the selection of roads under  PMGSY,  if so, the details thereof along with the reasons therefor;  and
- (b) whether the Government  entrusted private  agencies  for survey  of roads under PMGSY and if so, the details  ofthe  guidelines given to such agencies;
- (d) itt" .t"pt  taken by the Govemment to introduce more people fiiendly guidelines  for selection  and development of roads under PMGSY?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY  OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI SUDARSHAN  BHAGAT)

(a): 'Rural Roads' is a State subject and PradhanMantri  Gram SadakYojana  (PMGSY) is a one-time special intervention  to provide  rural connectivity,  by way ofa single all-weather  road, to the eligible unconnected  habitations  in the core network.  Projects under PradhanMantri  Gram SadakYojana(PMGSY)areexecutedbyStateGovemmentsthroughtheirdesignatedagencies i.e, State Rural Roads  Development  Agencies  (SRRDAs) at the State level and Project Implementation Units (plUs)  ui the dist.i"t  level. The programme envisages connecting  all eligible  unconnected  habitations with a population of 500 persons and above (as per 2001 Census)  in plain areas and 250 persons  and above (as per 2001 Census) in Special Category States  (Arunachal  Pradesh,  Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya,  Mizoram'  Nagaland' Sikkim' Tripura Himachal  pradesh,  Jammu & Kashmir  and uttrakhand), Tribal  (Schedule-V) areas, the Desert Areas (as identified  in Desert Development  Programme) and in selected  Tribal and Backward Districts(asidentifiedbytheMinistryofHomeAffairs/PlanningCommission).ThePMGSY permitsupgradation(toprescribedstandards)ofexisringruralroadsindistrictswhereallthe eligible  habitations  of the designated  population  size have  been provided  all weatrer road connectivity.  For most intensive  IAp brocks  as identified  by the Ministry  of Home  aiiarrs ttre unconnected habitations  with popuration r 00 and above (as per 2001 census)  wourd be eligible  to be covered under  pMGSy.

The Govemment  of India has arso launched  .MGS'-II which envisages consoridation  of the existing  Rurar  Road Network to improve  its overal efficiency  as a provider  of ffansportrtion services  for people,  goods  and services.  It arso aims  to cover upgradation  of existing serected rural roads (Through  Routes  and Major  Rural Links) based on their economic potentiar and their role in.-t:lit-a]ing  the growth  of rural market  centre and  rural hubs.  Under  pMGSy\_II an overarl target of 50,000  km rength  has been approved  for upgradation,  for the l2th five year plan period and the State-wise  targets  have been communicated  to'all the States.

The Guidelines of PMGSY and PMGSY-II  were made  after detailed  consultation  with the states, Guidelines  are also amended  from time to time with the approvar  of the competant  authority based  on the request from the States/peoples  ."p."s"ntutives.

(b)&(c): The preparation  of Deta ed  project  Reports  (DpRs)  for arr roads under  pMGSy is the responsibility  of the state  Govemment.  Tire state  gor.*n,"n,  prepares  the DpRs  either in\_ house  or assigns  this work  to consurtants  as per the -prescribed procedures  laid dowr by the Ministry  of Rural Development.  The selection  of .oads  ,r;";  ;;6i;"*'oi" "r"0". *" procedures  prescribed  in the PMGSY  guidelines.  The consultants  are not involved  in the selection  of roads  under  PMGSy.

(d)  : The PMGSy guiderines  provides  for, a simpre,  non formal transect  walk arong the proposed  alignment  of the  pMGSy Road, to be organized  uy *," arrirturi-i"*t""".L  ,i" ,,,," of preparation  of DpRs.  The  panchayatpradhan, local patwari,  the Junior Engineer,  Women Panchayati  Raj Institution  members  and representativ".  o,  *o-"n self  Herp  croups  (SHGs)  are expected  to participate  in the transect  wark to determine  the most suitabre  alignment,  and arso tb sort out the issues  of land availabilitv.  Furrher,  rhe Ministry  h",  ..;.;;;;;;ii.o *"  ,rJ"ia* ]1 0ra1 to accord priority  in the selection  of  pMGSy roads  for new connectivity  as wen as upgradation  reading  to the erigible habitations  in tt " c.u-  puncnayatslvitiages ll"rl,i"nf, ,,r" Members  of Parliament  under SansadAdarsh  Gram  yojana  (SAGy).