Srinagar, July 14: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Tuesday reviewed the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) in Jammu & Kashmir and said 646 new roads would be constructed under PMGSY-IV at an estimated investment of ₹7,790 crore to improve rural connectivity across the Union Territory.
Chairing a high-level meeting, Dulloo assessed the physical and financial progress under PMGSY Phases I, II and III and reviewed the implementation strategy for PMGSY-IV, which officials described as the largest rural road connectivity programme undertaken in J&K.
The meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary, Public Works (R&B) Department Anil Kumar Singh, Commissioner Secretary, Forests, Chief Engineers of PMGSY for Jammu and Kashmir, and other senior officials.
Describing the scale of investment under PMGSY-IV as unprecedented, the Chief Secretary said the programme reflected the government’s commitment to strengthening rural infrastructure and ensuring balanced development across J&K. He said improved all-weather road connectivity would enhance access to education, healthcare, markets, tourism and employment, contributing to socio-economic transformation in remote areas.
While expressing satisfaction over the progress made under the earlier phases of PMGSY, Dulloo directed the Public Works Department to complete the remaining projects without further delay and fix responsibility in cases of inordinate delays.
He also instructed the department to work closely with the Divisional Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners and the Forest Department to resolve pending issues related to forest clearances, land acquisition, utility shifting and other statutory approvals that have slowed project execution.
Calling for closer monitoring at the district level, the Chief Secretary directed Deputy Commissioners to regularly review PMGSY works in their respective districts and facilitate inter-departmental coordination to remove execution bottlenecks. He stressed that all pending works under earlier phases should be completed well before their stipulated deadlines while maintaining momentum under PMGSY-IV.
Additional Chief Secretary Anil Kumar Singh said the department was committed to completing all pending works under the previous PMGSY phases. He said efforts were underway to expedite forest and statutory clearances, accelerate tendering and ensure early commencement of newly sanctioned projects.
Singh also said the department was pursuing fresh approvals from the Ministry of Rural Development for the remaining eligible unconnected habitations to achieve universal all-weather road connectivity for all eligible rural settlements in J&K.
Officials informed the meeting that of the 3,437 roads sanctioned under PMGSY Phases I, II and III, 3,332 roads, or 96.9 per cent, have been completed. Of the sanctioned 20,801.43 kilometres of road length, 19,865.36 kilometres have been constructed, while 260 of the 305 sanctioned long-span bridges have also been completed.
The meeting was told that more than ₹13,526 crore has been spent under PMGSY Phases I, II and III to improve rural road infrastructure across the Union Territory.
Under PMGSY-IV, the first two batches comprise 646 roads with a total length of 3,381 kilometres at a sanctioned cost of ₹7,790 crore, aimed at providing road connectivity to 792 habitations.
Officials said Batch-I (2025-26) includes 316 roads spanning 1,781 kilometres at a cost of ₹4,224 crore. Work has commenced on 235 of these projects, with nearly ₹270 crore spent so far.
For Batch-II (2026-27), all 330 sanctioned roads have received technical approval and have been tendered, with the tendering process at an advanced stage.
The meeting concluded with the government reiterating its commitment to strengthening rural infrastructure and accelerating socio-economic development through improved connectivity across Jammu & Kashmir.
