Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana for Rural Development

The government of India has launched the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) for rural development to provide quality roads and bridges in rural areas. The first phase of the scheme involves the construction of roads and bridges in 4,000 gram panchayats across the country. Under the second phase of the scheme, the construction of roads and bridges in another 4,000 gram panchayats will be taken up. This article aims to answer questions like the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), who benefits under the scheme, how much will the cost of roads and bridges be, what are the eligibility criteria for the scheme, and so on.

What is the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana scheme?

The government of India has launched the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) for rural roads, bridges, and other critical infrastructure for the development of villages. The scheme’s main aim is to augment road connectivity and enable easy movement of goods, services, information, and people in and around villages. This scheme also aims to reduce the cost of living in villages, boost the economy, and create job opportunities in rural areas. Under the programme, the central government will provide funding for 60% of the total cost of infrastructure development works.

Who introduced the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana scheme:

In December 2000, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the prime minister of India at that time, introduced this scheme and put it under the ministry of rural development. He announced this scheme to be funded entirely by the central government. However, in 2015, the fourteenth finance commission recommended that the central government make 60% of the funding, and the rest 40% funding be made by the state government.

Aim of the PMGSY:

The main aim of the scheme is to augment road connectivity and enable easy movement of goods, services, information, and people in and around villages. By 2003, the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana had aimed to provide roads to villages with a population of 1,000 persons and to villages in hilly, tribal, and desert areas with a population of around 500 persons and above. By 2007, this scheme aimed to provide connective and well-built roads to villages with a population of 500 persons and villages in hilly, tribal, and desert areas with around 250 persons and above.

Funding of the PMGSY Scheme:

The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana is a centrally sponsored scheme that provides the development of rural roads and the construction of bridges in the country’s rural areas. The central government will contribute 60% of the scheme’s cost, with the state government and other local bodies having to contribute the remaining 40%. Under the scheme, the central government will provide financial assistance of up to Rs 1,00,000/- for each kilometre of rural road works and up to Rs 1,50,000/- for each kilometre of rural bridge works in a village. The scheme will be wholly funded by the central government.

PMGSY Tenders:

• There are around 100 PMGSY Tenders. The West Bengal tender is for the repair work of roads under this scheme in 5 years. 
• The Latur tender is for the construction of bridges.
• The Bhilwara tender is for the renewal of work on various roads.
• The Chittorgarh tender is to upgrade and maintain the roads under PMGSY. 
• The Jammu and Kashmir tender is for laying a new coat on the road.
• The Phulbani tender is to improve the conditions of the road.
• The Bhadrak tender is for civil works.
• Many more such tenders have been bid to professionals and experienced men to take up these projects and do them at different costs mentioned in each tender.

PMGSY Bihar:

Several tenders are open under the PMGSY Bihar. Some of them are balancing the work of the rebuilding of Hume Bridge pipes, surge counter, safety consultant appointment, agricultural rotavator, services for manpower outsourcing, sidewall fabrication, Cantilever four line, and many more. Various tendering authorities and private companies have published around 46 tenders under the PMGSY Bihar.

Conclusion:

The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) is a centrally sponsored scheme launched by the Union Government of India to improve the connectivity of rural areas in the country. It provides for the construction and rehabilitation of roads, bridges, culverts, and other infrastructure in rural areas. The scheme seeks to build roads in rural areas by aggregating earlier small-scale road development schemes. The scheme will focus on roads that connect villages to schools, hospitals, electricity, water, and other basic services. Under the scheme, the central government provides 60% of the cost of the road construction work to the state government. The state government, in turn, finances the remaining 40% of the cost.