Vaishali, July 10 (IANS) A newly constructed paved road under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) is bringing relief to residents of ward number 13 in Mahindwada Panchayat of Mahnar block Bihar’s Vaishali district.

Launched by the Government of India, PMGSY aims to provide all-weather road connectivity to previously unconnected rural habitations as part of a broader poverty reduction strategy.

The scheme sets high and uniform technical and management standards while encouraging state-level policy development to ensure sustainable management of rural road networks.

Residents of Mahindwada shared with IANS how the new road has transformed their daily lives.

Savita Kumari, a local resident, said, “Earlier, we faced severe waterlogging in ward number 13. Now, thanks to PMGSY, a proper paved road has been built, making life much easier. Children can get to school without problems. Previously, people had to travel on broken, unsafe roads and would often slip and fall. It was extremely dangerous.”

Anand Paswan added, “Earlier, there was only a kutcha road, which made commuting very difficult. That problem has been solved now. We thank the Prime Minister for this initiative.”

According to the latest figures from state government surveys identifying the Core Network for PMGSY, about 1.67 lakh unconnected habitations are eligible for coverage. This translates into around 3.71 lakh km of new roads and another 3.68 lakh km to be upgraded.

As of December 8, 2021, a total of 6,80,040 km of roads have been constructed under various phases of PMGSY. The yojana’s primary objective is to build durable, all-weather roads linking rural habitations to markets, schools, and healthcare facilities. Panchayati Raj institutions and elected local representatives play a crucial role in deciding which habitations are prioritised for connectivity.

Initially, PMGSY was fully funded by the central government until 2015–16. Since then, funding responsibilities have been shared. For North-Eastern and Himalayan states like Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh, the Union government covers 90 per cent of costs, with the states contributing 10 per cent. In other states, the Centre provides around 60 per cent of the funding while the state governments cover the remaining 40 per cent.

–IANS

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