Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana

published by | April 10, 2025
With the objective of providing rural connectivity, the Government of India launched the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (referred to as PMGSY-I hereinafter) on 25th December 2000 to provide all-weather access to eligible unconnected habitations with a population of up to 500(Census 2001) in plain area and 250 and above in Special category States(States of North East, Jammu, and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand), Desert Area as identified by Desert Development Program and 88 selected Backward Districts as identified by the Ministry of Home Affairs/Planning Commission as a strategy for poverty alleviation.
 
As of 8th December 2021, a total of 6,80,040 km of road length has been constructed under various interventions of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). The primary objective of PMGSY concerns building robust, all-weather roads in rural habitations and other core areas. Panchayati Rajs and elected local representatives decide which habitations to be selected. This scheme was centrally funded only up to 2015-16. Since then, the funds have been divided between the Centre and the State. For North Eastern and Himalayan States (Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh) 90% of a project is the Union Government funds, and 10% of this cost, is the State Government funds. For the Other States, the Union Government funds around 60% of a project while the remaining 40% is by State Government funds.
Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana

Features of PMGSY

Proper decentralized 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.

Benefits

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

Documents Required

1. Utilisation Certificate for the funds released earlier, year-wise in the form prescribed.
2. Certificate by the Bank Manager indicating the balance amount on the date of issue of the Certificate and the interest credited.
3. A Certificate regarding the requisite physical completion of works
4. For all releases after October of a year, production of an Audited Statement of Accounts and a Balance Sheet and related Statements, duly certified by the Chartered Accountant for the accounts of the previous financial year.
5. Outputs of the relevant modules of the OMMAS, duly certified by the SRRDA as being correct and verified by the NRIDA
6. A certificate from the CEO of SRRDA that Maintenance funds required as per maintenance contracts in force had been spent during the previous financial year. For releases after May of a year, the certificate should also include that 50% of such maintenance fund requirements for the current Financial Year have been released by the State, whereas for releases after November, the certificate should be for 100% of such funds.

Eligibility

1. 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).
2. 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
3. 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.

Application Process

The list of road works to be taken up under the Programme will be finalized each year by the District Panchayat in accordance with the allocation of funds communicated to the district. The District Panchayat has to ensure along with the consultative process, that the lists of proposed road works are part of the Core Network and that new connectivity is given priority.

FAQs

Does The Programme Provide Connectivity To Only Revenue Villages? Are Hamlets Eligible To Be Connected?

The spirit and objective of PMGSY-I was to provide good all-weather road connectivity to eligible unconnected habitations. The unit of this programme is a habitation and not a revenue village or a Panchayat. A habitation is a cluster of population, living in an area, the location of which does not change over time. Desam, Dhanis, Tolas, Majras, Hamlets, etc. are commonly used to describe habitations. The population, as recorded in the Census 2001, shall be the basis for determining the population size of the habitation. The population of all Habitations within a radius of 500 metre (1.5 km of path distance in case of Hills) may be clubbed together to determine the population size. In the blocks bordering international boundary in the hill States (as identified by the Ministry of Home Affairs), however, all habitations within a path distance of 10 km may be treated as a cluster for this purpose. This cluster approach would enable the provision of connectivity to a number of Habitations, particularly in Hill/ mountainous areas. A special dispensation has been allowed to Arunachal Pradesh under PMGSY by extending the Cluster approach to all International border districts in the State by clubbing population with the path distance of 10 km and treating as a Cluster.

What About Bridges On Rivers/Streams?

Bridges on rivers/streams crossing the alignment of the road are taken up under the program along with the road proposal. The Ministry issued PMGSY-III guidelines increasing the span of Long-Span Bridges (LSBs) for funding under PMGSY as follows: Up to 200 m in respect of Special Category States and LWE districts identified by the MHA. Upto 150 m in respect of other States.

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