STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The construction of roads and bridges under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) in Assam is lagging behind, with 260 roads of 820 km length and 83 bridges yet to be completed.
Since its inception in 2000-01, 9199 roads of a total length of 32,420 km have been sanctioned for Assam under PMGSY. Of these, 8739 roads spanning 31,600 km were completed until December 2023.
The total number of bridges sanctioned under PMGSY for Assam was 1454, of which 1371 were completed, leaving 83 bridges yet to be completed.
A state PWD official stated that "During Phase I of PMGSY, a total of 51 roads of length 54.91 km and 24 bridges remained incomplete. In Phase II, launched in 2013-14, a total of 250 roads with a length of 1721.48 km and 65 bridges were sanctioned, of which 235 roads with a length of 1715.97 km and 60 bridges were completed, leaving 15 roads with a length of 5.48 km to be completed, along with 5 bridges. In Phase III, initiated in 2019-20, the total number of roads sanctioned was 584, with a length of 3755.96 km, along with 56 bridges. Of these, a total of 390 roads of 2986.62 km in length and 2 bridges were completed. This left 194 roads with a length of 760 km and 54 bridges incomplete."
Regarding the completion schedule of the PMGSY roads and bridges, the official stated, "The remaining work will be completed within the stipulated timeframe. The completion date for Phases I and II of PMGSY is March 2024, and that for Phase III is March 2025."
Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) was launched as a one-time special intervention to provide rural connectivity, by way of a single all-weather road, to the eligible unconnected habitations of designated population size (500+ in plain areas and 250+ in North-Eastern States, Himalayan States, Desert, and Tribal Areas as per the 2001 census) in the core network for uplifting the socio-economic condition of the rural population.
Also Watch: