| Staff REPORTER |
Itanagar, Mar 9: The Arunachal Pradesh government has reiterated the call for an extension of timeline for implementation of the flagship rural road programme, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), to achieve the state’s connectivity goals.
Rural Works Department (RWD) Minister Pasang Dorjee Sona informed the State Legislative Assembly that the State has achieved around 97 per cent physical progress in PMGSY road construction. He said that the government has sent a DO letter to the Centre seeking an extension of the deadline to complete the remaining projects.
“We are very hopeful that the Government of India will extend the PMGSY deadline till March 2027,” the Minister said while responding to a ‘Zero Hour’ discussion raised by senior Congress lawmaker Kumar Waii in the Assembly.
Sona informed that out of 1309 road projects sanctioned under PMGSY, 1264 projects have already been completed, while 45 roads, mostly located in remote and difficult areas, are yet see the completion stage due to several reasons.
He highlighted that the remaining projects face difficulties such as rugged terrain, prolonged monsoon, recurring landslides and soil erosion which often hamper construction activities. In addition, local disputes related to land compensations contribute to delays, although the minister clarified that there is no provision for land compensation under PMGSY.
“People should wholeheartedly welcome road projects, and monitor the quality of works instead of becoming stumbling blocks for some kind of vested interest or pecuniary benefits,” he said.
The minister also informed the House that the use of nano technology in road construction, introduced by the Centre, has not been successful in the state’s conditions. He suggested that Northeast-specific guidelines should be framed to facilitate smoother execution of infrastructure projects in the hilly states, including Arunachal Pradesh.
Minister Sona stated that despite these challenges, the state government is actively working to connect more habitations with all-weather roads under the Chief Minister’s Rural Road Development Programme.
He assured the House that the government would ensure equitable distribution of funds and total transparency in implementing flagship road development programmes while strictly adhering to established guidelines.