Rural roads scheme extended, outlay increased by Rs 3,727 cr, Pg10

Key Highlights:

• The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana-III (PMGSY-III) has been extended until March 2029.
• The Union Cabinet increased the scheme's outlay by Rs 3,727 crore, bringing the total to Rs 83,977 crore.
• The extension aims to complete road and bridge construction in plain and hilly areas.
• 161 Long Span Bridges (LSBs), costing an estimated Rs 961 crore, are pending sanction and may now be approved.

Detailed Insights:

• The extension facilitates the completion of pending road and bridge works sanctioned before March 31, 2025, but not yet awarded.
• The extended scheme will focus on consolidating through routes and major rural links to Gramin Agricultural Markets (GrAMs), higher secondary schools, and hospitals.
• PMGSY was initially launched on December 25, 2000, followed by the second phase in 2013.
• The Road Connectivity Project for Left Wing Extremism Affected Areas (RCPLWEA) was launched in 2016, and PMGSY-III was launched in 2019 with a sanctioned road length of 1,15,446 km.
• In September 2024, the PMGSY-IV was approved for implementation from FY 2024-25 to 2028-29, with an outlay of Rs 70,125 crore.

Key Concepts Involved:

• PMGSY: A nationwide plan to provide all-weather road connectivity to unconnected habitations in rural areas.
• Gramin Agricultural Markets (GrAMs): Rural agricultural markets upgraded to provide infrastructure for storage and sale of agricultural produce.
• RCPLWEA: A component of PMGSY focused on improving road connectivity in areas affected by Left Wing Extremism.