In the country including the State of Tamil Nadu, a total of 1,31,589 km road length (18,814 roads and 5,110 bridges) was completed at an expenditure of Rs. 1,07,942 crore (including State Share), during the last five years, under various verticals of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). The year wise details are given below:-

Since inception, in Kallakurichi Constituency of Tamil Nadu, 62 roads of 257 km length and 3 bridges have been constructed with an expenditure of Rs.184 crore under various verticals of the PMGSY. The State/UT-wise, District-wise and Parliamentary Constituency-wise details of rural road projects and the stages of construction under various verticals of PMGSY may be accessed at the programme website https://pmgsy.dord.gov.in/dbweb on a real-time basis.

Under PMGSY-I, out of total 1,63,275 sanctioned habitations, 162,845 habitations (99.7%) have been provided connectivity. The road works for providing connectivity to balance 401 habitations are at various stages of execution.

In September 2024, the Government of India launched PMGSY IV. The primary objective of PMGSY IV is to provide all-weather road connectivity to about 25,000 unconnected habitations of population size (as per Census 2011) 500+ in plains, 250+ in Special Category States (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Ladakh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu Kashmir and Uttarakhand), Special Category Areas [(Tribal Schedule-V Areas, Desert Areas, Aspirational Blocks/ Districts and Hilly areas as notified by the respective State Government (cross slope more than 25% gradient and the elevation is more than 600 meters from the Mean Sea Level)] and 100+ in LWE affected Districts including Legacy & Thrust Districts identified by MHA from time to time. Under PMGSY-IV, habitations identified under VVP-II are being prioritised for all-weather road connectivity. Under PMGSY IV, the States/UTs have surveyed 41,200 habitations for connectivity which are further scrutinized by National Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (NRIDA) and sanctions are given based on the Detailed Project Reports sent by the State/UTs. Till date, 6752 road works of 19,643 km and 94 bridges have been sanctioned which will provide connectivity to 7455 habitations.

As per PMGSY guidelines, ensuring the quality of road works and maintenance of roads constructed is the responsibility of the State/UT Governments. However, the Department of Rural Development conducts quality assessment through National Quality Monitors (NQMs) and monitors maintenance of roads and bridges through compulsory routine inspections on the eMARG digital platform.

All PMGSY works are covered by initial five year maintenance contracts during the Defect Liability Period (DLP) as per the Standard Bidding Document. Maintenance funds to service the contract are required to be budgeted by the State/UT Governments and placed at the disposal of the State Rural Roads Development Agencies (SRRDAs) in a separate account. The routine inspections on roads are conducted on a bi-monthly basis and the expenditure is based on the performance. On expiry of the 5 years, during the post Defect Liability Period (post DLP), the roads are placed under Zonal maintenance contracts for a further term of 5 years, which includes renewal and maintenance from time to time. The budget for the same is also allocated by the State/UT governments.

The details of funds allocated, released and utilised under PMGSY during the last five years is given at Annexure.

Ministry of Rural Development has taken a number of initiatives to expedite completion of road works sanctioned under PMGSY:

(i) PMGSY has a robust mechanism in place to ensure effective monitoring and quality construction of works. To effectively monitor the scheme and bring about greater efficiency, accountability and transparency in implementation, a modern web-based Online Management, Monitoring, and Accounting System (OMMAS) has been set up for PMGSY. Implementation of all sanctioned works is being monitored through OMMAS on a real-time basis to ensure that the physical and financial progress are in sync with the overall targets given to states. Further, a Project Management Information System (PMIS) has been developed for better management of the construction activities of each road sanctioned under PMGSY-III.

(ii) To enhance transparency during road construction, it has been made mandatory to install Global Positioning System (GPS) enabled Vehicle Tracking System (VTS) on all vehicles/machinery/equipment deployed by the contractor/PIUs for execution of PMGSY works. This helps in assessing the proper operation of this machinery/equipment for a specified period, which is essential for achieving the specified quality of the roads being constructed.

(iii) Further, as a measure of further enhancing the focus on maintenance of roads during the defect liability period and also streamlining the delivery of routine maintenance of PMGSY roads, eMARG has been introduced, which is conceptualized on Performance Based Maintenance Contracts (PBMC). As mentioned in reply to (b) above, payment to the contractor is now made through eMARG, which is based on the condition of road, its cross drainage works and traffic assets. Payments are based on how well the contractor manages to comply with the performance standards or service levels defined in the contract.

(iv) Electronic Maintenance of PMGSY roads (e-MARG), an online platform, has been implemented in all the states/UTs to monitor maintenance of PMGSY works for five years from the date of completion (i.e. under Defect Liability Period- DLP). Consequent upon the introduction of e-MARG i.e. software module for maintenance payments to the contractor during the defect liability period, such payments have been made commensurate with the quality of roads through a performance-based contract management system.

(v) Programme is regularly monitored by way of Regional Review Meetings (RRMs), Performance Review Committee (PRC) meetings, monthly review meetings and Pre-Empowered/Empowered Committee meetings with the States/UTs. The State/UT Governments are also regularly advised to convene meetings with the concerned authorities to expedite matters relating to land issues, forest and wildlife clearances in order to expedite completion of works.

(vi) A recent initiative about provision of unique digital identity (QR code) to every PMGSY road marks a transformative shift in how rural infrastructure is managed. Under the framework, each road will be assigned a geo-spatial identification number linked to a QR code. This identity will be displayed on roadside signboards and backed by a digital record containing its location, classification and assset details. In effect, every road becomes a traceable, searchable entity in a national inventory. On scanning the QR code, the public can place the grievance through Meri Sadak mobile application as well as the CPGRAMS portal. All the complaints are redressed through digital systems in an accountable manner.