The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), the scheme building roads in states with historical deficit of rural roads, has constructed 10,556 km of roads during the first quarter of 2017-18, clocking an average of 117.28 km per day, according to latest data.
This compares favourably with the first quarter of 2016-17 (April-June, 2016), when a total length of 8,756 km roads was
constructed at an average of 97.29 km per day. The progress in terms of length constructed in the present financial year is 18.51 per cent of the total annual target.
During 2017-18, the PMGSY target is to construct 57,000 km of roads at an average per day rate of 156 km and to provide connectivity to 16,600 eligible habitations. A total of 2,543 habitations have been provided connectivity already, which is 15.31 per cent of the annual target.
The pace of construction of PMGSY roads reached a seven-year high of 130 km per day in 2016-17 as against an average of 73 km during the period 2011 to 2014.
The PMGSY is being implemented across the country, particularly in Assam, West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, J&K and Utttrakhand.
The present rate of construction is expected to accelerate from October 2017 to March 2018. PMGSY aims to connect 1,78,184 eligible habitations across the country out of which projects relating to 1,61,576 habitations have been sanctioned and 1,29,004 habitations have been connected till June 2017.
The scheme is focusing on the use of non-conventional construction materials like waste plastic, cold mix, fly ash, jute and coir geo-textiles, iron and copper slag, cell filled concrete, paneled cement concrete.