MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(SADHVI NIRANJAN JYOTI)
(a) A total of 6,79,298 Km road length has been constructed under various interventions of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) as on 2nd December, 2021. The details of road length constructed state-wise, district-wise and year-wise under various interventions of PMGSY can be accessed at the website omms.nic.in->progress monitoring->Financial Yearwise Achievement. The state/UT-wise and year-wise targets set for construction of roads under PMGSY are given in Annexure.
(b) & (c) Under PMGSY-I, which envisages all-weather road connectivity to eligible unconnected habitations of designated population size as per Census 2001, roads connecting the targeted habitations were taken up for sanction under the new connectivity component. Under up-gradation component, intermediate link roads, which were not upto the standards of all-weather roads, were taken up for upgradation to the prescribed standards.
Under PMGSY-II, which envisages upgradation of the existing rural road network to improve its overall efficiency as a provider of transportation services for people, goods and services, the selection of roads in a particular district/block has been done by the States/UTs based on the utility value of the eligible roads computed on the basis of their economic potential and their role in facilitating the growth of rural market centres and rural hubs.
Under Road Connectivity Project for Left Wing Extremism Affected Areas (RCPLWEA), which was launched with the twin objectives of enabling smooth and seamless anti-LWE operations by the security forces and also ensuring socio-economic development of the area, the selection of projects is done by the Ministry of Home Affairs in consultation with the states and security forces.
Under PMGSY-III, which envisages consolidation of existing Through routes and major rural links connecting habitations, inter-alia, to Gramin Agricultural Markets, Higher Secondary Schools and Hospitals, the selection of roads in a particular district/block is done by the States/UTs based on the utility value of the eligible roads computed on the basis of the population served by the road and market, educational, medical and transport infrastructure facilities connected by the concerned road.
The PMGSY has inbuilt mechanism for consultation with public representatives at planning, selection of roads and monitoring stages. As per the programme guidelines, the proposals received from the Members of Parliament with regard to selection of roads are given full consideration and such proposals that cannot be included are communicated in writing to the Members of Parliament with reasons for non-inclusion of such proposal in each case. In order to ensure that the State Government give due attention towards provisions of the programme guidelines while submitting the proposals to the Ministry of Rural Development for sanction, the Ministry has issued an advisory to the States on 2nd June, 2020. The State Governments have been advised, inter-alia, to communicate the final list of proposals in the order of priority to the Member of Parliament with the reasons for non-inclusion of certain roads in the proposals and obtain their consent on the proposals sent for approval.
(d) There is a detailed process and procedure laid down in the programme guidelines for scrutiny and subsequent sanction of projects proposals under PMGSY. The State Technical Agencies (STAs) scrutinize the project proposals prepared by the State Governments and provide technical support to them. Ministry has also identified reputed Technical and Research Institutions such as the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) as Principal Technical Agency (PTAs) for various groups of States, which scrutinize at least 10% of the proposals. Once the proposals are received from the State, National Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (NRIDA), which has been set-up by the Ministry to provide operational and management support to the programme, further scrutinizes at DPRs on a sample basis. The states are required to modify the project reports based on the technical observations of the STA/ PTA/ NRIDA.
The proposals are then submitted for scrutiny in a Pre-Empowered Committee Meeting chaired by the Joint Secretary & Director General, NRIDA. Thereafter, the proposal is placed before the Empowered Committee chaired by the Secretary, Department of Rural Development. The recommendations of the Empowered Committee are submitted to the Minister of Rural Development and in case the proposals meet the programme requirements, the same are sanctioned.
There is a three-tiered Quality Control mechanism for ensuring construction of quality road works and durability of road assets under PMGSY. Under the first tier, the Programme Implementation Units (PIUs) are required to ensure process control through mandatory tests on material and workmanship at field laboratory. The second tier is a structured independent quality monitoring at the State level through State Quality Monitors (SQMs) to ensure that every work is inspected at initial stage, middle stage and final stage of construction. Under the third tier, independent National Quality Monitors (NQMs) are deployed by NRIDA for random inspection of road and bridge works to monitor quality and also to provide guidance to the field functionaries.
(e) As per PMGSY guidelines, maintenance of roads constructed under the programe 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.
The details of cost incurred towards implementation of the scheme, year-wise can be accessed at omms.nic.in->progress monitoring-> Fund Position Report Live. The expenditure incurred by the states towards maintenance of the roads can be accessed at omms.nic.in->EXPENDITURE ON DLP MAINTENANCE.
(f) Rural roads under PMGSY are constructed and maintained as per the technical specifications and geometric design standards given in the Ministry of Rural Development Specifications for Rural Roads, Rural Roads Manual of the Indian Roads Congress (IRC) (IRC-SP:20) and also, where required, the Hill Road Manual (IRC:SP:48) and other relevant IRC Codes & Manuals.
There is a quality control mechanism as explained in part (d) of the reply to ensure construction as per norms. Every road is required to undergo quality control checks both by the PIU and the State Quality Monitor, while on a sample basis, NQMs examine the quality of the construction of the work. Wherever a work is reported as deficient by Quality Monitors remedial action is taken for rectification of those defects.
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