Decline in Road Construction
In FY25, only 10,660.7 km of rural roads were built up to December 2024. If this pace continues, around 13,000 km of rural roads will be constructed by March 2025. This would be half of the 26,099.6 km constructed in FY24, indicating a significant slowdown.
Trend Over the Years
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Road construction under PMGSY has been declining over the past three years:
- FY22: 42,003.9 km
- FY23: 29,749.4 km (29% reduction)
- FY24: 26,099.6 km (12.3% reduction)
Reasons for Decline
- The deceleration is mainly because the PMGSY scheme is nearing its target. From 2000 to 2024, 8.2 lakh km of roads were sanctioned, and 7.7 lakh km (94%) have been constructed.
- The scheme was launched in 2000 to provide all-weather road connectivity to unconnected habitations.
Funding Pattern
- PMGSY is a centrally sponsored scheme with a 60:40 funding ratio between the Centre and States. For North Eastern and Himalayan States, the ratio is 90:10.
- Budget allocations have fluctuated:
- FY23: ₹18,783 crore
- FY24 (RE): ₹17,000 crore (9.5% dip)
- FY25 (BE): ₹19,000 crore (11.8% increase)
State-wise Performance
- Uttar Pradesh (2,408.5 km), Bihar (1,055.78 km), and Rajasthan (946.4 km) had the highest road construction lengths in FY25.
- Haryana (83.9 km), Kerala (103.4 km), and Gujarat (110.3 km) had the lowest.
Challenges
- Delays in project implementation due to logistical issues and untimely fund releases by State governments.
- The programme still relies on the 2001 Census data, excluding many eligible habitations. The 2011 Census data is suggested for inclusion.
States with large rural populations and socio-economic issues (like UP, Bihar, and Rajasthan) prioritize rural connectivity, while states with better baseline connectivity (like Gujarat, Kerala, and Haryana) have fewer projects.
Practice Questions for Prelims
Consider the following statements regarding PMGSY:
- The scheme is a centrally sponsored scheme with a 60:40 funding pattern between the Centre and States.
- The 32nd Parliamentary Standing Committee Report suggested using the 2011 Census data for identifying habitations under PMGSY.
- The total length of roads constructed under PMGSY in FY23 was 29,749.4 km.
