The Centre has sanctioned more than 10,000 kilometres of rural road projects for Jammu & Kashmir, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana-IV (PMGSY-IV), marking a major step towards strengthening rural infrastructure and inclusive development.
According to the Ministry of Rural Development, the newly approved projects will provide road connectivity to nearly 3,270 habitations that were previously cut off from all-weather access. The move is expected to significantly improve access to healthcare, education, markets and other essential services for people living in remote and rural areas.
Describing the sanction as a key milestone under PMGSY-IV, the Ministry said the initiative reflects the Centre’s commitment to the vision of Viksit Bharat by ensuring last-mile connectivity across diverse and difficult terrains, ranging from hilly regions to far-flung rural communities.
Under PMGSY-IV, the government aims to connect around 25,000 unconnected habitations identified as per Census 2011 norms. These include habitations with a population of 500 and above in plains, 250 and above in North Eastern and hill states and Union Territories, special category areas such as Schedule V tribal regions, aspirational districts and blocks, desert areas, and habitations with a population of 100 and above in Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected districts.
The overall objective of the scheme is to construct about 62,500 kilometres of all-weather rural roads, along with necessary bridges along the road alignments, to ensure year-round connectivity.
PMGSY-IV was approved by the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on September 11, 2024, for implementation during the period 2024–25 to 2028–29. The total outlay for the scheme is ₹70,125 crore, comprising a central share of ₹49,087.50 crore and a state share of ₹21,037.50 crore.
