22,380 km Rural Roads Built in Himachal; More Villages to Be Connected Under PMGSY Phase-IV
Shimla, July 30,
The Central Government has completed 22,380.09 km of rural road construction in Himachal Pradesh under the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), out of the total approved 24,967.76 km for the state, Union Minister for Rural Development and Highways Kamlesh Paswan informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
Responding to a question raised by Kangra MP Dr. Rajiv Bhardwaj, the Minister elaborated on the national progress and future roadmap of the scheme, stating that Phase-IV of PMGSY aims to connect 25,000 villages across India by March 2029. Across the country, a total of 8,38,611 km of roads have been sanctioned, with 7,83,304 km already completed.
Focusing on Phase-IV, Paswan said that states and Union Territories, including Himachal Pradesh, are now leveraging Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to identify and propose new road projects for approval. So far, the Ministry has received 300 such proposals covering 1,555 km from across the country.
Under the revised guidelines, villages with more than 250 people in hilly areas like Himachal Pradesh will continue to receive priority in road connectivity projects. Furthermore, tribal-majority habitations with 50% or more Scheduled Tribe (ST) population, especially in aspirational districts, will receive focused attention under this phase.
The Minister also mentioned the PM Janman Yojana, which seeks to improve connectivity in tribal areas. As part of this initiative, the Centre plans to construct 8,000 km of roads by 2027-28, with 6,506 km already sanctioned for construction. While state-specific allocation was not detailed, the announcement could benefit tribal belts in districts like Lahaul-Spiti, Chamba, and Kinnaur in Himachal.
Paswan reiterated that the central government is committed to ensuring last-mile connectivity through a phased, inclusive approach, aiming to bridge infrastructure gaps in remote and hilly regions like Himachal Pradesh.
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