Rural roads scheme achieves aim but is riddled with speed-breakers

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₹3.2 trillion. However, the scheme was not free from delays, poor quality, and the lack of proper monitoring, and more importantly, had its aims based on the outdated 2001 Census. After the BJP government returned to power in 2014, the pace of construction picked up, reaching 134 km per day in 2017-18 and 2018-19, but has slowed since.

It clocked over 100 km per day even in the pandemic years, but it fell nearly to half in 2023-24, a Mint analysis of data shared in the Parliament showed. Meanwhile, the spending on the scheme consistently undershot Budget estimates. Barring 2021-22, the budgeted amount since 2016-17 has been roughly ₹19,000 crore every year, which was cut to ₹12,000 crore for the current year.

A report by the standing committee on rural development, laid in Parliament in July last year, expressed concerns over unspent funds and noted that the need of the hour was expeditious utilization of available finances for faster completion of projects, particularly in states that were lagging. PMGSY was launched in December 2000 as a 100% centrally-sponsored scheme, but over the years, it evolved into different verticals with shared funding between the Centre and state governments. PMGSY-I aimed to provide connectivity to every village that has a population of more than 1000 by 2003 and every village of more than 500 persons 2007.

The second phase, PMGSY-II, was launched in 2013 to consolidate the existing rural road network, with a target of 50,000 km. Six years later, PMGSY-III was launched which aimed to further consolidate and provide connectivity to habitations. The first and second phases are close to completion, having achieved 99% of the sanctioned construction of roads.