25 years of PM Gram Sadak Yojana: 95% of rural road targets achieved

Almost 95 per cent of rural road targets have been achieved under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) that completed 25 years on Thursday. Launched on December 25, 2000, the marquee rural roads programme has emerged as one of the most impactful rural infrastructure initiatives, successfully transcending changes in government.

 

As of December 2025, nearly 787,520 kilometres (km) out of a total sanctioned length of 825,114 km of rural roads had been completed under various phases of the scheme. According to the government, the programme has evolved into a key driver of socioeconomic transformation by strengthening market integration, enabling better price realisation for farmers, and supporting both farm and non-farm livelihoods.

 

However, granular data highlighted by National Statistical Office (NSO) surveys show that since the Covid-19 pandemic, the rate of road completion against targets dipped sharply before recovering in recent years.

 

PMGSY was initially launched as a 100 per cent centrally sponsored scheme. In 2015-16, the funding pattern was revised to a 60:40 cost-sharing arrangement between the Centre and states, with a 90:10 ratio for the northeastern and Himalayan states.