Criteria of eligibility:

♤ All habitations having a population of 500 (as per 2001 census) and above in plain areas.

♤ All habitations having a population of 250 and above in:

o Hill States

o Desert Areas

o Tribal Areas (Schedule V)

o Tribal and backward districts under IAP (Integrated Action Plan)

♤ The Government of India in 2013, approved a scheme of PMGSY II which envisages upgradation of existing major rural links to rural growth centres where cost of upgradation will be shared by states also.

♤ The Phase-III of PMGSY is also being finalised, wherein Sustainable Maintenance of Roads and Financial Incentives to best performing States will be the key focus areas.

♤ The Ministry of Rural Development is planning to give a financial incentive of 5 percent to the best performing States for maintenance of roads. There are 8 to 9 States in the country which are building standard and durable rural roads well before the scheduled target.

♤ Sensing the importance and urgency of rural roads for national development the target date for completion of PMGSY-I has been preponed from 2022 to 2019. Working towards this accelerated target, sanctions have been given to 1,66,012 habitations (93%) against the target of 1,78,184 eligible habitations. PMGSY through its all-weather roads has contributed this key ingredient of development to 11,499 new unconnected habitations for the first time in 2017-18.

♤ Less than 1% eligible habitations remain to be sanctioned for new connectivity under PMGSY, remaining 6% habitations are either not-feasible or sanctioned by the States from their own resources. Connectivity has been provided to 1,52,124 habitations (including 16,380 habitations connected by the States). In addition, 2109 habitations of 100-249 population have been connected. Under the program, 5,50,533 kms of road length has been constructed.