The Central Government of India implemented Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) to improve rural connectivity. This scheme came into effect on 25th December 2000. It is a 100% centrally sponsored scheme that takes money from a High-Speed Diesel cess.  However, since 2015-2016 this scheme has been funded partially by Central and State governments.

This article will look at some details regarding the same.

Rural connectivity has always been a problem in India. There are still many villages and rural habitations that all-weather roads do not connect. Moreover, these roads do not undergo maintenance, nor do they consist of using high-quality building materials.

Therefore, to combat this issue which could potentially lead to poverty alleviation in rural areas, the Indian Government started the PMGSY scheme or the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.

The primary objective of Pradhan Mantri Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) concerns building robust, all-weather roads in rural habitations and other core areas.

Some prominent features of the Pradhan Mantri Gram SadakYojana are -

• Proper decentralised planning for the building of roads.
• Build roads according to the Indian Road Congress and Rural Roads Manual.
• 3-tier quality management system.
• An unbroken flow of funds.

A region must be a habitation. It cannot be a hamlet or revenue village to be eligible for the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).

The Central Government describes habitation as a population cluster residing within an area that remains constant over time. Some of the local words used to describe a habitation are:

• Majras
• Desam
• Hamlets
• Tolas
• Dhanis

The hamlet must have a higher population as per the 2001 Census to be eligible for road connection. The eligible habitations have a population of above 500 persons in plain areas and around 250 persons and above in hilly areas.

The benefits of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) are -

• All-weather connection to the hamlets that are least or not connected.
• Overall Development of the country allows for easy movement of goods and vehicles.
• There are better employment opportunities for those from villages thanks to the road connections.

Panchayati Rajs and elected local representatives decide which habitations to be selected for the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.

• The primary challenge faced is the lack of funds available. The Central government funds are already pretty stretched. Hence, the Government does not allocate money to this scheme.
• There is an excess wastage of materials due to a lack of proper planning.
• Moreover, there is an inconsistent working season in hilly areas. Hence, the construction of roads often undergoes delay and incurs additional costs.
• Since there is a waste in the materials, the projects often exceed their budget.
• Lastly, labour no longer comes cheap, and the workers decide whether it is worth their time to work on the project or not.