SRINAGAR: During a meeting chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Chowdhary, it was revealed that, out of the 1,500 targeted habitations with populations exceeding 250, surveys for 700 habitations have already been completed. The fourth phase of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) aims to connect unlinked rural habitations in Jammu and Kashmir, using the 2011 Census as the eligibility basis.
The Union Cabinet approved PMGSY-IV on September 11, 2024, and the initiative will be implemented from 2024–25 to 2028–29. This phase focuses on linking habitations that have gained eligibility due to population growth and socio-economic changes, ensuring all-weather road connectivity.
Deputy Chief Minister Chowdhary highlighted the significant progress made under previous phases of PMGSY, which connected nearly 99.5 per cent of eligible habitations as per the 2001 Census. He stressed the need for special efforts to address the connectivity needs of newly eligible areas and directed officials to expedite surveys and adhere to the guidelines set by the Union Ministry.
The Ministry of Rural Development has introduced the “PMGSY Gram Sadak App” for the digital mapping of unconnected habitations, enabling efficient planning of road alignments. Officials are actively finalising projects to ensure seamless connectivity.
Senior officials, including Reena Nazar, Director of the Union Ministry of Rural Development, Mazhar Hussain, Director of Finance for the R&B Department, and the Chief Engineers of PMGSY Jammu and Kashmir, attended the meeting alongside other officers involved in PMGSY-IV.
