SRINAGAR: More than 10,000 kilometres of road projects have been approved under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana–IV (PMGSY-IV) for several States and Union Territories, including Jammu and Kashmir, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim.
The approvals mark a key milestone in the Department of Rural Development’s efforts to strengthen rural infrastructure as part of the Viksit Bharat initiative.
The sanctioned roads are aimed at improving connectivity in remote and rural regions. Once completed, around 3,270 habitations that currently lack proper road access are expected to be connected, enabling easier access to essential services such as healthcare, education and employment opportunities.
Under PMGSY-IV, nearly 25,000 unconnected habitations across the country are targeted for connectivity. These include settlements with a population of 500 or more in plains, 250 or more in north-eastern and hill States and Union Territories, special category areas such as Scheduled Tribe regions, aspirational districts and desert areas, and habitations with a population of 100 or more in Left Wing Extremism-affected districts, as per Census 2011.
The scheme aims to construct about 62,500 kilometres of all-weather roads, along with necessary bridges along the approved alignments to ensure year-round connectivity.
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the implementation of PMGSY-IV on September 11, 2024, for the period from 2024-25 to 2028-29.
The total financial outlay of the scheme is Rs 70,125 crore, including a central share of Rs 49,087.50 crore and a state share of Rs 21,037.50 crore, officials said.
