New Delhi, Dec 25 (IANS) Celebrating 25 years in 2025, the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) stands out as one of India’s most impactful rural infrastructure initiatives. Launched to ensure all-weather connectivity to previously unconnected rural habitations, the programme has emerged as a key enabler of agricultural growth, employment generation, improved access to education and health services, and poverty alleviation.
Since its inception, PMGSY has sanctioned a total of 8,25,114 km of rural roads, of which 7,87,520 km have been completed, reflecting nearly 95 per cent physical progress as of December 2025, according to an official statement issued on Thursday.
A total road length of 62,500 kilometres is proposed to be constructed during the implementation period from FY 2024–25 to 2028–29, with an overall financial outlay of Rs 70,125 crore. Phase IV of PMGSY aims to provide all-weather road connectivity to 25,000 unconnected rural habitations.
Road infrastructure constitutes a fundamental pillar of rural development, enabling access to economic and social services, enhancing agricultural incomes, creating productive employment opportunities, and making a significant contribution to poverty reduction.
Over time, PMGSY has evolved into a key driver of socio-economic transformation, strengthening market integration, facilitating better price realization for farmers, and supporting both farm and non-farm livelihoods. Collectively, these outcomes underscore the programme’s central role in advancing inclusive and sustainable rural development
Budgetary allocations to the PMGSY in recent years reflect the government’s sustained emphasis on strengthening rural road connectivity. For the financial year 2025–26, the programme has been allocated Rs 19,000 crore, underscoring the continued support for enhancing rural infrastructure, ensuring all-weather road connectivity, and boosting economic opportunities in rural areas.
The government’s systematic measures have significantly improved the quality, durability, and sustainability of rural roads constructed under PMGSY. Progress and performance of PMGSY road projects are closely monitored using advanced digital technologies and online platforms, ensuring greater efficiency, transparency, and accountability, the statement said.
The Online Management, Monitoring, and Accounting System (OMMAS) enables real-time monitoring of all works under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, ensuring that physical and financial progress remains aligned with the targets assigned to states. To further strengthen the Project Management Information System (PMIS), it has been integrated within OMMAS to facilitate more effective management of construction activities for each road sanctioned under PMGSY-III.
OMMAS also supports quality assurance by capturing assessments carried out by independent quality monitors. Inspections conducted by National Quality Monitors (NQMs) and State Quality Monitors (SQMs) are uploaded through the Quality Monitoring System (QMS) mobile application, along with geo-tagged photographs from the field, and are subsequently reflected on the OMMAS portal. This framework enables real-time quality monitoring and enhances transparency in the delivery of durable rural infrastructure.
The Electronic Maintenance of PMGSY Roads (e-MARG) platform has been implemented across all States to ensure systematic monitoring of PMGSY road maintenance for a period of five years from the date of completion, corresponding to the Defect Liability Period (DLP). With the introduction of e-MARG as a dedicated software module for maintenance payments, contractor payments during the DLP are now directly linked to road performance and quality outcomes. This performance-based contract management system has significantly strengthened accountability, improved maintenance standards, and enhanced the long-term durability of PMGSY assets, the statement added.
–IANS
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