Celebrating 25th Anniversary

Introduction

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.  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 on 25 December 2000 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. 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.

From Connectivity to Consolidation: Phased Progress under PMGSY

Since its inception, the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (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  percent physical progress as of December 2025.

Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) Phase – I (2000)

Launched in 2000, Phase I of the programme served as the flagship initiative to provide all-weather road connectivity to eligible, previously unconnected rural habitations. It established the foundation for universal rural access by linking villages with markets, educational institutions, and healthcare facilities. Road connectivity projects for a total of 1,63,339 rural habitations have been sanctioned nationwide under Phase I.

PMGSY Phase – II (2013)

Introduced in 2013, Phase II of the programme focused on strengthening and consolidating the existing rural road network. It prioritized the upgradation of economically important routes linking rural markets, growth centers, and service hubs, with the objective of improving transportation efficiency and accelerating rural economic development.

Road Connectivity Project for Left Wing Extremism Affected Areas (RCPLWEA) – (2016)

Launched in 2016, the road connectivity project for Left Wing Extremism Affected Area (RCPLWEA) is a targeted intervention for infrastructure development covering 44 most severely affected Left Wing Extremism (LWE) districts and adjoining areas across nine States– Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh.

The scheme serves a dual objective:

• Strengthen security operations by enhancing the mobility of security forces.
• Promote socio-economic development by improving access to markets, educational institutions, and healthcare services in remote and underserved regions.

PMGSY Phase III- (2019)

Launched in 2019, Phase III of the programme focuses on upgrading 1,25,000 km of Through Routes and Major Rural Links to strengthen connectivity between rural habitations and key socio-economic institutions, including Gramin Agricultural Markets (GrAMs), higher secondary schools, and healthcare facilities. As of December 2025, out of the total target, 1,22,393 km of road have been sanctioned, and 1,01,623 km (83%) have been constructed nationwide. The PMGSY-III has significantly improved mobility, enhanced access to education and healthcare, facilitated better integration with agricultural markets, increased employment opportunities, and contributed to broader rural socio-economic transformation.

PMGSY Phase – IV (2024)

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 the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) aims to provide all-weather road connectivity to 25,000 unconnected rural habitations, based on Census 2011 population criteria:

• Habitats with a population of 500 and above in plain areas,
• 250 and above in North-Eastern and Himalayan States/UTs, and
• Habitations located in special category areas, including Tribal (Schedule V) regions, Aspirational Districts/Blocks, and Desert areas.

Application of Advanced Technologies in Rural Road Development

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.

1. Online Management, Monitoring, and Accounting System (OMMAS)

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.

2. e-MARG (electronic Maintenance of Rural Roads)

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.

3. Use of Global Positioning System (GPS)

To strengthen transparency and accountability in road construction, the mandatory installation of a GPS-enabled Vehicle Tracking System (VTS) on all vehicles, machinery, and equipment deployed by contractors and Programme Implementation Units (PIUs) for PMGSY III works has been enforced since May 2022. This mechanism enables continuous monitoring of equipment deployment and operational duration, thereby ensuring adherence to prescribed construction processes and contributing to the attainment of stipulated road quality standards.

D. Robust Technical Standards

The adoption of environmentally sustainable materials and advanced construction technologies in road development is actively promoted. Drawing on international best practices and evidence from indigenous research, the Indian Roads Congress (IRC) has formulated new standards and periodically revised existing guidelines to facilitate the adoption of such innovations. Accordingly, a wide range of eco-friendly materials, including fly ash, slag, construction and demolition waste, waste plastic, crumb rubber modified bitumen, geosynthetics, bio-bitumen, and bio-engineering measures, are being deployed in national Highway projects, subject to their availability and technical feasibility.

5. Innovation and Climate Resilience

The adoption of innovative construction technologies, including the utilization of waste plastic, cold mix techniques, and Full Depth Reclamation, has enhanced the durability of rural roads while mitigating environmental impacts. As of July 2025, these sustainable methods have been employed in the construction of more than 1.24 lakh Km of roads, reflecting a strategic shift towards resilient and eco-friendly rural infrastructure development.

6. Three-Tier Quality Monitoring

To ensure the quality and long-term durability of rural roads, a robust three-tier Quality MonitoringSystem has been institutionalized.

• Tier 1: Field-level quality checks by the executing agencies.
• Tier 2: Inspections by independent State Quality Monitors (SQMs).
• Tier 3: Surprise audits by National Quality Monitors (NQMs) deputed by the Ministry.

All Progress and quality assessments are monitored in real-time through the Online Management, Monitoring, and Accounting System (OMMAS).

Conclusion

As the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) marks 25 years of transformative impact in 2025, it stands as a defining pillar of India’s rural development journey. With nearly 96 percent of the sanctioned rural road length completed, the programme has significantly enhanced rural accessibility, strengthened market linkages, improved access to education and healthcare, and accelerated inclusive economic growth. The phased evolution of PMGSY, from ensuring basic connectivity to consolidating networks, developing strategic rural links, and advancing universal last-mile access under Phase IV. The integration of advanced digital monitoring systems such as OMMAS, e-MARG, GPS-enabled tracking, and a robust three-tier quality assurance mechanism has ensured transparency, accountability, durability, and climate resilience. Aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, PMGSY extends beyond infrastructure creation to promote environmental sustainability, poverty reduction, and inclusive rural transformation.