Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, and Rural Development, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday launched PMGSY-IV during the silver jubilee celebrations marking 25 years of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) in Bhairunda of Madhya Pradesh’s Sehore district and announced a series of major projects and financial allocations related to rural roads, housing and development for the state.

The event, organised by the Union Ministry of Rural Development, was attended by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav, Union Minister of State for Rural Development and Communications Dr Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, Union Minister of State for Rural Development Shri Kamlesh Paswan, Madhya Pradesh Minister Shri Karan Singh Verma, legislators and senior officials of the Centre and the state government.

Launching PMGSY-IV, Shri Chouhan said village roads are not merely pathways for transportation but gateways to prosperity, dignity, education, healthcare, markets and opportunities. In the presence of Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav, the Union Minister said that the Central Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is committed to bringing visible and concrete changes in the lives of villages, the poor, farmers and women.

Praising Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi during his address, Shri Chouhan said India under PM Modi’s leadership is rapidly progressing towards becoming a prosperous, glorious, self-reliant, developed and economically strong nation. He said the government’s rural development initiatives are focused on ensuring that the benefits of growth reach the last person in the queue.

During the programme, Madhya Pradesh received approval under PMGSY-IV for 973 roads with a total length of 2,117.52 kilometres at a total estimated cost of ₹1,763.08 crore. These projects are expected to benefit 987 habitations across the state and significantly strengthen rural connectivity.

The Vidisha parliamentary region separately received approval for 259 roads covering a total length of 600.393 kilometres. These roads are expected to benefit 264 habitations and improve transportation and connectivity across the region.

Shri Chouhan said roads worth more than ₹500 crore would be constructed in the Vidisha parliamentary constituency. He stressed that his priority is to ensure that no village remains deprived of road connectivity.

He also made it clear that all roads in Madhya Pradesh that meet the norms and criteria laid down under PMGSY would be approved. Referring to regional development demands raised by public representatives and local residents, Shri Chouhan assured that practical and concrete decisions would be taken after due consideration.

Under the PM-JANMAN initiative, road projects covering 384.34 kilometres received approval worth ₹261.81 crore. These projects are expected to benefit 168 habitations, particularly in backward and underserved regions.

Alongside these allocations, Madhya Pradesh also received ₹830 crore out of the total indicative allocation of ₹18,907 crore announced for PMGSY for the financial year 2026-27. Shri Chouhan described the allocation as a major step towards accelerating the pace of development in Madhya Pradesh and strengthening rural infrastructure.

Handing over a mother sanction worth ₹2,055 crore to Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G), Shri Chouhan said the government remains committed to ensuring that no poor family is left without a permanent house.

He said eligible families identified through a fresh survey would undergo physical verification and receive benefits under the housing scheme so that poor families are not deprived of permanent housing facilities. He added that the government is committed to turning the dream of a permanent roof for poor families into reality.

Emphasising women’s economic empowerment, Shri Chouhan said the Lakhpati Didi campaign would be accelerated further through self-help groups across the state and country. He said that with the resolve of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the commitment of Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav, the government would leave no stone unturned in ensuring that women are connected with income generation, dignity, financial independence and self-reliance.

Speaking on issues concerning farmers, the Union Agriculture Minister said no eligible farmer would face injustice during wheat procurement operations. He said pending verification processes would be completed and procurement of farmers’ produce would be ensured without discrimination. He also said that efforts are underway to develop a more beneficial and farmer-friendly mechanism in matters related to land acquisition so that farmers receive fair and adequate benefits.

Speaking in an emotional tone, Shri Chouhan said that as long as he lives, he would leave no stone unturned in serving the people and ensuring the development of the region.

Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav also praised Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan during the programme and felicitated him publicly. He said the Madhya Pradesh government is working in close coordination with the Government of India, and remains committed to fulfilling practical demands raised by the public and elected representatives. Dr. Yadav said no effort would be spared in ensuring that developmental needs and aspirations from the region are addressed effectively.

During the programme, Shri Chouhan also gave positive indications regarding several important regional demands. On issues including the supply of Narmada water to remaining villages, approval of local roads, distribution of land leases, establishment of educational institutions, development of facilities around temple areas and irrigation projects, both Shri Chouhan and Dr. Mohan Yadav projected a coordinated and supportive approach.

Union Minister of State for Rural Development and Communications Dr Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani said PMGSY has transformed the development journey of rural India over the last 25 years. He said improved road connectivity is not merely a means of transportation but a strong foundation for ensuring access to education, healthcare, employment opportunities, markets and social empowerment in villages.

Dr Pemmasani said the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is committed to creating modern, durable and future-oriented infrastructure in rural areas. He expressed confidence that PMGSY-IV would improve connectivity in remote and backward regions, strengthen the rural economy and bring positive changes in the quality of life of people living in villages.

Large states honoured for outstanding performance

During the programme, large states that demonstrated outstanding performance under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana over the last 25 years were honoured in various categories.

In the category of highest road length completed under PMGSY, Madhya Pradesh secured first place with 90,766 kilometres of roads completed. Rajasthan secured second place with 75,868 kilometres, while Uttar Pradesh secured third place with 75,695 kilometres.

In the category of connecting the highest number of habitations, Bihar secured first place with 31,287 habitations connected under the scheme. Madhya Pradesh secured second place with 17,493 habitations, while Odisha secured third place with 16,990 habitations.

For maximum use of green technology in rural road construction, Gujarat with 98.42% utilisation secured first place, followed closely by Tamil Nadu with 98.39% and Haryana with 97.92%.

For outstanding performance in maintenance of rural roads, Uttar Pradesh was honoured for expenditure of ₹654 crore, Bihar for ₹553 crore and West Bengal for ₹497.62 crore.

In the category of excellence in quality control mechanisms, Madhya Pradesh secured first position, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu jointly secured second position and Gujarat secured third place.

For maintenance of rural roads after the defect liability period, Madhya Pradesh with ₹1,044 crore secured first place, followed by Chhattisgarh with ₹490 crore and Uttar Pradesh with ₹284 crore.

North-Eastern, hill states and Union Territories also honoured

In the category of North-Eastern states, hill states and Union Territories, Assam was honoured for completing the highest road length with 32,169 kilometres. Himachal Pradesh secured second place with 23,081 kilometres, while Uttarakhand secured third place with 21,874 kilometres.

For connecting the highest number of habitations, Assam secured first place with 13,720 habitations connected, followed by Himachal Pradesh with 2,556 and Odisha with 2,132.

For maximum use of green technology, Uttarakhand with 75% utilisation was honoured, followed by Assam with 74% and Meghalaya with 71%.

For outstanding performance in maintenance of rural roads, Assam secured first place with expenditure of ₹357 crore, Uttarakhand with ₹151 crore secured second place and Jammu and Kashmir with ₹132 crore secured third place.

In the category of excellence in quality control systems, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Ladakh and Puducherry jointly secured first place. Sikkim secured second place, while Tripura secured third place.

The programme marked both the completion of 25 years of PMGSY and the formal beginning of PMGSY-IV, with the government projecting it as a major step towards expanding durable, technology-driven and future-ready rural connectivity infrastructure across the country.

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RC/PU/MK

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