Uttarakhand to expand rural road network under PMGSY phase 4

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday stated that under the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), road connectivity is being extended to even the smallest villages in the state.

He emphasized that with the formation of clusters based on a standard population, roads will now reach low-population settlements as well. Work will soon begin under the fourth phase of PMGSY to further expand rural road networks.

The Chief Minister highlighted that the process of connecting settlements with a minimum population of 250 to all-weather roads has already started. The Central Government has issued guidelines for the fourth phase of PMGSY, under which the Uttarakhand Rural Development Department has completed a survey for the construction of 1,490 roads covering a total length of 8,750 km.

The PMGSY scheme, launched by the Central Government in 2000, aimed to connect villages with proper roads. The first three phases of the scheme successfully linked villages with a minimum population of 250, based on the 2001 census data.

Now, with the fourth phase guidelines issued, all settlements with a minimum population of 250 will be connected to roads based on the 2011 census data. In line with these guidelines, Uttarakhand has completed the survey for 1,490 rural roads spanning 8,750 km.

Secretary of Rural Development Radhika Jha informed that following the survey, the preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for these roads has commenced and will soon be submitted to the Central Government for approval. Additionally, essential infrastructure such as culverts, causeways, and large bridges will be constructed as required.

As per the scheme’s guidelines, population clusters will not be determined based on revenue villages or panchayats but by aggregating the population within a defined radius. In Uttarakhand, settlements within a 1.5 km radius will be considered together for road connectivity.

However, for development blocks near the international border, the population will be assessed within a 10 km radius. This approach will particularly benefit Uttarakhand, given its scattered and low-density population.