(a) the schemes of the Government for renovation of roads in rural areas to reduce the number of road accidents;
(b) whether more than half of the roads in rural areas are kutcha and most of the bridges and culverts are old and narrow;
(c) if so, whether the Government is contemplating to renovate the said roads, bridges and culverts;
(d) if so, the details thereof; and
(e) the steps being taken by the Government to improve the dilapidated condition of roadways facilities?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(SADHVI NIRANJAN JYOTI)
(a) to (e) Rural roads is a state subject. However as a part of poverty reduction strategy, Government of India launched Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) on 25th December, 2000 for providing connectivity by way of an all weather road to the eligible unconnected habitations as per core-network with a population of 500 persons in plain areas. In respect of Special Category States (i.e. Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Uttarakhand), the Desert Areas (as identified in the Desert Development Programme), the Tribal (Schedule V) areas and Selected Tribal and Backward Districts (as identified by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Planning Commission), the objective is to connect eligible unconnected habitations with a population of 250 persons and above (Census 2001). For most intensive Integrated Action Plan (IAP) blocks as identified by Ministry of Home Affairs the unconnected habitations with population 100 and above (as per 2001 Census) were included under PMGSY. PMGSY also permits the up-gradation (to prescribed standards) of the existing roads in those districts where all the eligible habitations of the designated population size as mentioned above have been provided all-weather road connectivity.
In the year 2013, PMGSY-II was launched for up-gradation of selected Through Routes and Major Rural Links (MRLs) with a target to upgrade 50,000 Km in various States and Union Territories. Subsequently, in 2016, Road Connectivity Project for Left Wing Extremism Affected Areas (RCPLWEA) for construction/up-gradation of strategically important roads was launched as a separate vertical under PMGSY. In the year 2019, the Central Government launched PMGSY-III for consolidation of 1,25,000 Km Through Routes and Major Rural Links connecting habitations, inter-alia, to Gramin Agricultural Markets (GrAMs), Higher Secondary Schools and Hospitals.
A total of 2,50,541 km road length has been upgraded under all the verticals of PMGSY. The details of road works upgraded/renovated and Long Span Bridges (LSBs) completed across the country under various verticals of PMGSY as on 18.03.2021 is as under:-
S. No. Verticals Road Length upgraded/renovated No. of LSBs completed
(in km)
1. PMGSY-I 1,98,566 4,898
2. PMGSY-II 41,808 434
3. RCPLWE 3,118 73
4. PMGSY-III 7,049 4
Total 2,50,541 5,409
Further, in order to incentivize the best performing States, this Ministry also provides financial incentive for maintenance of roads which have crossed the Defect Liability Period (DLP). The details of financial incentive released to States during the last 4 financial years and the current year are given at Annexure-I.
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Annexure-I
Annexure referred to in reply to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 4577 due for reply on 23.03.2021