Prime
Minister's Gram Sadak Yogana (PMGSY)
Rural
Road Connectivity is not only a key component of Rural Development
in India, it is also recognised as an effective Poverty
reduction Programme. Notwithstanding the efforts made, over
the years, at the State and Central levels, through different
Programmes, about 40% of the Habitations in the country
are still not connected by All-weather roads. It is well
known that even where connectivity has been provided, the
roads constructed are of such quality that they cannot be
categorised as All-weather roads.
Government
have resolved to provide Rural Road Connectivity to all
habitations and accordingly decided that 50% of the Cess
on High Speed Diesel (HSD) would be earmarked for this Programme.
Accordingly, Rs. 2500 crore (being 50% of the Cess on High
Speed Diesel (HSD) has been earmarked for the purpose during
the year 2000-2001.
On
the 15th August 2000, the Prime minister announced
a Centrally Sponsored Scheme called the Pradhan Mantri Gram
Sadak Yojana with the objective of connecting, within next
three years, every village that has a population of more
than 1000 through good All-weather roads and every village
of more than 500 persons similarly connected by the year
2007. The budget for the year 2000-01 indicates the flow
of funds for Rural Roads as Additional Central Assistance.
Since this has been taken into consideration while determining
the Plan size of States, it is proposed to retain the arrangement
as such for this year. From the year 2001-02 onwards, it
is proposed to commence a 100% Centrally Sponsored Scheme,
with the same objectives.
Programme
Objectives and Coverage
1
The objective of the Government is to provide Road Connectivity,
through good All-weather roads, to all Rural Habitations
with a population of more than 500 persons by the year 2007
(end of Tenth Plan period). In the process, all unconnected
Habitations having a population of more than 1000 persons
would be covered in the next three years. Accordingly, for
the year 2000-2001, the Programme would cover Habitations
having a population of more than 1000 persons. Where a State
has no uncovered Habitation of this population size, smaller
Habitations may also be covered, subject to the minimum
population size being 500. In case of hilly/desert tracts,
this may not be less than 250.
2
The primary focus of the Programme will be on construction
of new roads. However, upgradation (to prescribed standards)
of existing roads will be permitted to be taken up under
the Programme so as to achieve connectivity through good
All-weather roads. In taking up upgradation, the population
norms indicated in Para 1 above shall be observed. Upgradation
would involve conversion, depending on the need, of Gravel
roads / Water Bound Macadam (WBM) roads to Black-Topped
(B.T.). Extension of existing roads to the SC/ST Habitation
in the village would also be covered under upgradation.
Upgradation would, however, not cover repairs of existing
Roads.
3
The Programme shall cover only ‘Other District Roads’
(ODRs) and ‘Village Roads’ (VRs).
4
The Rural Roads to be taken up will, by and large, be
surfaced roads (black topped / cement concrete). However,
depending upon the soil conditions, All-weather roads may
also be Gravel Roads, but with all necessary cross- drainage
structures.
Implementation
of the Programme
1
Each State Government / UT Administration would identify
one or two suitable Agencies (having a presence in all the
Districts and with established competence in executing time-bound
programmes), to be designated as Executing Agencies.
2
At the District level, the Programme will be planned, co-ordinated,
and implemented through the Executing Agencies. A Programme
Implementation Unit (PIU), entirely directed towards this
Programme, will be set up in all the Districts concerned.
All PIUs will be manned by competent technical personnel
from amongst the available staff or through deputationists
and no new posts will be created for the purpose.
3
The State Governments will establish suitable linkages in
this behalf with the District Rural Development Agencies
(DRDAs). Funds would be released to the concerned DRDAs
for the year 2000-2001.
District
Rural Roads Plan
The PIU will formulate a Master Plan for each Block indicating
the Habitations in that Block and the existing status of
road connectivity, including the proposed new construction
as well as roads requiring upgradation. Roads under construction
under other Schemes such as RIDF, the erstwhile BMS, externally-
aided projects or State/ District Sector Schemes should
also be clearly specified. This shall thereupon be integrated
into a District Master Plan, to be called the District
Rural Roads Plan. The Plans so prepared would be subject
to close technical scrutiny so as to arrive at the most
economical cost of achieving the targets of the Programme
and would also indicate the spacing of execution of works.
The Master Plan would be approved in the Governing Body
of the respective DRDA, taking into account the views and
suggestions of the local Members of Parliament and Members
of State Assembly.
State
Level Standing Committee: The DRDA will, thereupon,
forward the Master Plan to the State-level Standing Committee,
set up by the State Government (ideally headed by the Chief
Secretary), to ensure close and effective monitoring of
the Programme. Upon approval by the said Standing Committee,
the project proposals would be forwarded by the State Government
to the Ministry of Rural Development.
It will be the responsibility of the Standing Committee
to oversee that lands are available for taking up the proposed
road works. A Certificate to this effect will accompany
all the proposals. No provision is to be made for Land Acquisition
under this Programme.
Empowered
Committee: At the Central level, the Project proposals
received from the State Governments would be considered
by an Empowered Committee (to be chaired by Secretary, Department
of Rural Development) and including the AS& FA, Ministry
of Rural Development; Advisor/Additional Adviser (Transport),
Planning Commission; Director, Central Road Research Institute,
New Delhi; One Expert to be nominated by the Ministry of
Rural Development; and Joint Secretary (RC), Department
of Rural Development as Members. The Deputy Secretary/Director
handling the Programme in the Ministry of Rural Development
would be the Convener. The representatives of the State
Government, whose projects are being considered by the Empowered
Committee, may be invited to attend the Meetings, as and
when required. The Recommendations of the Empowered Committee
would, thereafter, be submitted to the Minister of Rural
Development for further orders / approval.
Execution of Works
On clearance of the Project proposals, the relevant projects
would be executed by the PIUs and completed within a period
of 9 months, from the date of approval; in exceptional cases,
this period may extend up to 12 months. Delayed execution
of projects could also hold up further sanctions.
The well-established procedure for tendering, through competitive
bidding, would be followed for all projects. The projects
would be tendered in packages of appropriate size (between
Rs. 1 crore to Rs. 5 crore).
The road works, including the Cross Drainage works, will
be executed as per the technical specifications prescribed
by the Ministry of Surface Transport / Indian Roads Congress.
The Ministry of Rural Development will, in due course, issue
further Guidelines in this regard. Special care will be
taken in coastal areas etc. to see that the shoulders are
duly consolidated. Use of locally available material, including
products like Fly Ash, should be encouraged subject to adherence
to technical norms. The roads must have proper drainage
facilities. The bridges may be so designed as to serve,
where feasible, as Bridge-cum-Bandharas. No lead charge
would be payable for transportation of soil (except in case
of Black Cotton soil).
Time/Cost over-runs (and consequent cost escalations) will
not be permitted and, in such an eventuality, the State
Government concerned would have to bear the additional expenditure.
To avoid such a contingency, the Executing Agency will incorporate
suitable Penalty Clauses in the Contract.
The roads constructed under this Programme are expected
to be of very high standard, requiring no major repairs
for at least five (5) years after completion of construction.
In order to realise this objective, suitable clauses relating
to Performance Guarantee shall be included in the Contract
Documents.
Planting of fruit bearing and other suitable trees, on both
sides of the roads, would be one of the contract conditions.
It will be the responsibility of the PIUs to ensure timely
payments to the contractors. Each Roadwork will be photographed
at three stages – beginning, middle and at the final
stages.
The Ministry of Rural Development will indicate the design
of a logo, road borders and all relevant information and
these will be duly installed.
Supervision of Works and Quality Control
Quality
of works being the essence of this Programme, all works
will be effectively supervised. It will be the prime responsibility
of the PIU to make certain that the work done (and all the
materials utilised in the same) conforms to the prescribed
specifications. In addition to checking the quality of materials
at site, the steps warranted in this direction should include:
- Obtaining
the Test Certificates of manufactured materials from the
sources from which these are procured,
- In
the case of mineral aggregate, inspection of the quarry,
(or even stationing a representative) to ensure that only
approved rock is crushed to the required sizes,
- For
works involving processing (i.e., stabilisation or compaction
involving equipment), requiring the contractor to do the
work on a trial stretch so as to ensure that the equipment
and procedures used turn out work of the highest quality.
Periodic
inspections of works will be carried out by the Competent
supervisory Authority/ies of the Executing Agency. It will
be necessary for the Executing Agencies to set up Quality
Control Units, independent of the PIU.
he
State-level Standing Committee will oversee that the supervision
of works is continuous and effective.
The
Ministry of Rural Development will engage Independent Monitors
(Individuals / Agency) for inspection of works under the
Programme. It will be the responsibility of the PIU to facilitate
the inspection of works by the Monitors, who shall be given
free access to all records, administrative, technical and
financial.
Monitoring
1
The Ministry of Rural Development would evolve a suitable
software for an "On-line Management & Monitoring System".
The State authorities are advised to equip the PIUs with
necessary Computer Hardware to enable on-line monitoring.
The cost of the Hardware may be included in the Project
cost. The cost would also include the cost of digitisation
of maps, for which the Ministry of Rural Development would
issue separate Guidelines.
2
The Ministry of Rural Development will in co-operation with
the Nodal Department for the Programme at the State Level
organise suitable Training Programmes for the PIU personnel.
3.
The Ministry of Rural Development will prescribe Periodical
Reports and Returns for monitoring the performance and progress
of Projects taken up under this Programme.
Maintenance
of Rural Roads
1
The Rural Roads constructed /upgraded under this Programme
will be maintained by the concerned Panchayati Raj Institution
(District Panchayat/ Intermediate Panchayat). The concerned
Panchayati Raj Institutions would need to be identified
while submitting the project for approval and the State
Authorities will be required to furnish an Undertaking that
they would remit (to the identified Panchayati Raj Institution),
from the State Government funds, the requisite cost of maintenance.
The State Governments will also offer an Undertaking for
the release of maintenance costs, alongwith their project
proposals. The Ministry of Rural Development would oversee
the implementation of this undertaking.
2
Efforts will be made to involve local people’s participation
in the maintenance of Rural Roads. Suitable mechanisms and
procedures will be evolved by the State Governments in consultation
with the Ministry of Rural Development.
Funding
For
this year (2000-2001) only, funds under the Programme are
being provided by the Centre to the States as Additional
Central Assistance (ACA) and will follow the normal pattern
of Additional Central Assistance. The Ministry of Rural
Development will indicate the manner of release of funds,
possibly including an "On-line payment system" for
the Programme from the next financial year.
The
Ministry of Rural Development may allocate additional funds
to any State taking into consideration, inter alia, the
Special Problems / Needs of specific areas.
For
the year, 2000-2001, the cost of the approved Projects will
be released to the concerned DRDAs, through the State Governments,
in two Instalments. The release will be made by the Ministry
of Finance on the recommendations of the Ministry of Rural
Development. State Governments will be required to transfer
funds to the concerned DRDAs within 15 days of release by
Government of India. The fund will be non-lapsable at the
DRDA level.
It
will be incumbent on the DRDAs to open a separate and single
Bank account for the funds received under this Programme.
These funds will remain entirely separate from those of
any other Programme/Scheme. The interest earned on this
Account will not be diverted to any other Programme, even
on temporary basis.
The
funds for the Second Instalment will be released after fulfilment
of procedures prescribed by the Ministry of Rural Development,
which will include satisfactory reports from Independent
Monitors engaged by the Ministry of Rural Development. For
the year 2000-2001 alone, the Ministry of Rural Development
may release the entire approved cost in one Instalment,
subject to the total release being limited to the allocation
for the State/UT.
The
Head of the PIU, subject to not being below the rank of
an Executive Engineer, will be competent to operate on this
Account, subject to the normal rules and regulations of
the State Government concerned. The funds earmarked for
each Project are to be utilised for that Project only. The
Head of the PIU will send a Monthly Account to the Project
Director, DRDA. The Second Instalment for each Project will
be claimed by the Project Director, DRDA, through the State
Government.
It will be open to the State Government to nominate the
Head of the District PIU as the ex-officio Project Director,
DRDA for the purposes of this Programme.
Accounts
& Audit
The
well-established accounting system of the Works Departments
would be utilised for this Programme. The Ministry of Rural
Development may evolve suitable accounting procedures, including
computer-based ones, keeping in view the normal procedures
that are in force.
The Ministry of Rural Development would lay down the Audit
requirements for the Programme. In addition to such Audit
procedures as may be prescribed, the works under this Programme
would be subject to audit by the Office of the Comptroller
and Auditor-General of India (C&AG). The Audit of the
work done would cover aspects of quality, in addition to
financial audit.
All
the road works will be subjected to Social Audit by way
of discussion in the Gram Sabha. Relevant information in
this regard will be made available to the Gram Sabha. State
governments will issue necessary instructions in this regard.
Miscellaneous
No
Agency charges will be admissible for road works taken up
under this Programme. The Executing Agencies will not levy
charges in any form, such as Centage charges etc.
The
Ministry of Rural Development may allow costs incidental
to execution of the road works, such as Telephone and other
Office expenses, and costs of travel and may lay down suitable
Guidelines in this regard. Such costs would be treated as
Project expenses and would be debited to the Project Cost.
To
maintain quality and ensure timely completion of works,
the Ministry of Rural Development will lay down a scheme
of incentives / disincentives to the States / Districts.
The
Ministry of Rural Development may, from time to time, issue
such directions as may be necessary for smooth implementation
of the Programme.
For
the year 2000-2001 only, the Project proposals may include
the road works initiated under the erstwhile Basic Minimum
Services (BMS) Programme which are still incomplete. The
Project proposals should clearly specify the value of the
work done under the BMS component and the value of the work
remaining incomplete. Such works shall be completed within
the specified period.
