In Ladakh, 64 unconnected habitations get road connectivity; biggest-ever package of 316 road projects underway in J&K
Arteev Sharma
Jammu: Once marred by accusations of corruption, the flagship Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) has transformed rural connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir as the scheme connected over 2,100 far-flung habitations with over 4,500 km road length built since its inception in the year 2000.
According to the official information shared by the Union MoS, Rural Development Kamlesh Paswan in Lok Sabha today, a total of 2,132 unconnected habitations have been provided connectivity through PMGSY in Jammu and Kashmir since the start of the scheme. In Ladakh, the number of far-off locations provided connectivity through PMGSY has been 64.
“As far as Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, a total road length of 17,498.8-km had been sanctioned for new connectivity to unconnected habitations under PMGSY, while a total of 5,083.96-km road length was to be upgraded, taking the total sanctioned road length to 22,582.77-km,” the Union Minister said.
“Of this, 19,729.94-km has been completed as of July 24, 2025, including 15,047.14-km of new roads and 4,682.80 km of upgraded infrastructure. A remaining stretch of 2,852.83 km is yet to be completed,” the minister said, adding “Out of the sanctioned 1,659.07-km road length including 660.50-km new connectivity roads in Ladakh, a total length of 1,109.11-km has been completed till date”.
The scheme was launched 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 as per Census 2001. The implementation of the scheme has not only improved all-weather access for rural populations but also helped bridge developmental gaps, especially in geographically challenging areas.
The Central Government has recently sanctioned a biggest-ever package of 316 road projects, at an estimated cost of over Rs. 4224 crore, under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana-IV (PMGSY-IV) for Jammu and Kashmir for providing connectivity to 390 eligible habitations with a population of more than 250 souls.
Pertinently, the execution of works under PMGSY have remained under scanner in Jammu and Kashmir, with stakeholders accusing “blatant corruption” in carrying out road construction works under the scheme.
On June 19 this year, Jammu and Kashmir Government had ordered a formal inquiry into alleged violations of DPR and PMGSY guidelines in the construction of four rural roads in Poonch district. Following a departmental complaint and unsatisfactory replies from eight engineers, including former Executive Engineers and Junior Engineers, the Government ordered a probe to investigate the charges.
The Minister, however, claimed, “To bring execution of the Programme to the desired quality standards, a three-tier quality management mechanism has been institutionalized under PMGSY. First-tier of this mechanism is in- house quality control at the Programme Implementation Unit (PIU) level”.
“The second-tier is structured as an independent quality monitoring at the State level through State Quality Monitors (SQMs), in which the provision of regular inspection of works has been envisaged for ensuring better quality. Under the Third-tier, independent National Quality Monitors (NQMs) are deployed by NRIDA for inspection of road works on a random sample basis, not only to monitor quality but also to provide guidance by senior professionals to the field functionaries. The observations of NQMs are sent for action to the State Governments, and Action Taken Reports (ATRs) are monitored at NRIDA”, he said.
