3 days ago
MP urges relaxing criteria for rural road scheme citing ground realities in DK
Dakshina Kannada MP Captain Brijesh Chowta urged the Central Government to relax the criteria for construction of all-weather roads under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna-Phase IV, in so far as coastal and Malnad districts of Karnataka are concerned.
Raising the issue under Rule 377 in the Lok Sabha on August 6, Capt. Chowta flagged the implementation challenges of PMGSY-IV with respect to the realities of ecologically sensitive and topographically complex regions like Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, parts of Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan and Kodagu districts in Karnataka.
Acknowledging the transformative impact of PMGSY under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, Capt. Chowta praised the substantial gains in rural connectivity achieved through Phases I, II, and III of the scheme. However, he highlighted that Phase IV guidelines do not adequately account for the ground realities of coastal and Malnad districts.
What are these ground realities
The MP pointed out that while many habitations appear 'connected' in the Management Information System (MIS), ground verification in hilly and forested areas shows that several remote hamlets still lack reliable and all-weather motorable access. He pointed out that these districts have been incorrectly classified as 'plain areas' under PMGSY-IV, which affects eligibility, funding and design norms.
Capt. Chowta expressed concern that the population thresholds — 500+ for plain terrain and 250+ for hilly terrain — leave out scattered, but permanently inhabited hamlets located more than 1.5 km from the nearest road. These small settlements often remain cut off from essential services, like health and education.
He said, 'Our government has done transformative work in rural connectivity, including tribal settlements. Minor course correction in regions like the coastal and Malnad districts, particularly Dakshina Kannada, will ensure no village is left behind.' The MP urged the Ministry of Rural Development to reclassify these districts as 'hilly terrain', enable on-ground verification of connectivity status, and relax population thresholds. He also recommended a cluster-based planning approach for remote, dispersed habitations.
Connecting 25,000 habitations
PMGSY-IV aims to provide all-weather road connectivity to unconnected habitations. It was launched in September 2024 to connect 25,000 habitations prioritising tribal and aspirational areas on the basis of Census 2011 data. For the five-year period, the 2025 budget had sanctioned ₹70,125 crore to construct 62,500 km new roads in rural areas.
