Rural road construction clocks eight-year high of 12,000 kilometres this year

The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) has made significant progress in rural road development. Since January 1, 2023, PMGSY has built 12,000 km of roads, with the government of India's current budget allocation close to Rs 19,000 crore for rural road development.

This is a significant accomplishment because it represents an eight-year high since 2015, when road construction in rural areas doubled from the target of 5200 km.

The strengthening of India's rural road infrastructure is likely to have a significant positive impact on rural communities, improve poverty outcomes, and increase the penetration of two and four-wheelers in the country's heartland, according to Anshul Gupta, Managing Director, Okaya Electric Vehicles.

What is more, this achievement in rural road construction comes at a time when India's per-km annual construction rate is expected to fall by 25%, from the targeted 14,000 km to 10,500 km.

According to sources in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, 99 percent of the sanctioned length in PMGSY-I and PMGSY-II has been completed, while  60–70 percent of phase 3 of the scheme has been completed.

According to official data, the government of India has spent close to Rs. 3.67 trillion for this road capacity expansion, while expenses stand at Rs. 2.98 trillion.

The Government of India introduced the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) in early 2000 to offer connection to disconnected eligible habitations and upgrade select existing roads to the same standard as in urban areas.

For the first time in eight years, PMGSY components 1, 2, and 3 outperformed (106 percent) for the first quarter (April–June) of this fiscal year.

According to data issued by the National Statistical Office (NSO) in its latest Twenty Point Programme (TPP) progress report for the first quarter of the current fiscal year, 6,403 kilometers of roads were built instead of the targeted 6,000 kilometers.

According to government data, a total of 176732 roads were approved under the Pradhan Mantri Gramme Sadak Yojana initiative, and a total of 160705 roads were completed within the budgeted amount.

Nearly 700,000 kilometers of the road (around 99 percent of the sanctioned length) had been completed under the first and second phases of the scheme, government sources informed Autocar Professional.