Jammu, April 10, 2025 – In a significant push to bolster rural infrastructure, the UT Level Standing Committee convened a meeting today under the leadership of Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo to review and greenlight key proposals under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana Phase-IV . The meeting, held in Jammu, saw participation from senior officials, including the Principal Secretary of Home, Secretary of Public Works Department , Secretary of Transport, Secretary of Revenue, Director General of Budget, Engineer-in-Chief, and other departmental representatives.
Chief Secretary Dulloo underscored the importance of leveraging PMGSY-IV to extend all-weather rural road connectivity to underserved regions across Jammu and Kashmir. “This scheme is a game-changer for rural development. The focus must be on securing swift approvals for all surveyed roads,” he stated, directing the PWD to prioritise projects based on the Comprehensive New Connectivity Priority List to expedite clearance from the central government. He emphasised ensuring last-mile connectivity to remote areas, aligning with the scheme’s core objective of bridging accessibility gaps.
Launched by the Ministry of Rural Development, PMGSY-IV targets connecting rural habitations that have become eligible due to population growth as per the 2011 Census. Running from 2024-25 to 2028-29, this phase aims to enhance access to essential services such as education, healthcare, markets, and administrative centers through the construction of durable, all-weather roads. The initiative promises to transform rural life by addressing long-standing connectivity challenges.
Secretary PWD, Bhupinder Kumar, briefed the committee on the scheme’s eligibility criteria. He highlighted that PMGSY-IV adopts an inclusive approach, setting population thresholds at 500+ in plains, 250+ in hilly states and Union Territories like Jammu and Kashmir, and 100+ in Left Wing Extremism -affected areas. Kumar explained the innovative cluster approach, where habitations within a 500-meter radius are grouped as a single unit for connectivity. Additionally, sensitive border blocks and habitations within a 10 km path distance are prioritised to meet strategic and developmental goals.
The meeting also shed light on the technical specifications of PMGSY-IV roads. Kumar noted that these all-weather roads are designed to minimize disruptions, ensuring no blockage exceeds 24 hours at a time or occurs more than six times annually. Furthermore, roads built under PMGSY-I with only Stage-I formation—lacking essential pavement layers—will be upgraded and completed under this phase, rectifying past deficiencies.
On the financial front, the funding model for PMGSY-IV was outlined, with the central government contributing 90% of the costs and the Union Territory covering the remaining 10%. Post-construction, the UT will bear full responsibility for road maintenance over a 10-year period, ensuring long-term sustainability.
The Chief Secretary’s call to action reflects a broader vision of inclusive rural development, with PMGSY-IV poised to play a pivotal role in connecting Jammu and Kashmir’s far-flung areas. As the scheme rolls out, it is expected to catalyze socio-economic growth by linking rural communities to vital opportunities and services.