Impact Assessment of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)

correlation between road improvements

and GDP per capita growth is extensive.
Yet, the distributional impact of road
EExxeeccuuttiivvee SSuum
mmmaarryy projects, especially the impact on the poor,
is also needed to be assessed. In the

Rural roads provide basic inputs absence of baseline data it is very difficult

for all-round socio-economic development to disentangle the effects from the road

of the rural areas. The construction of improvements from those of other

roads brings various socio-economic interventions and overall development of

benefits to the rural areas and result in the economy. A well planned assessment

forming a strong backbone for the agro- of the impacts of the programme was

based economy. The Pradhan Mantri Gram therefore felt necessary.

Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) is designed to
The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana
support Government of India’s agenda to
(PMGSY) was launched on 25th December,
promote poverty alleviation in rural areas
2000 and has now been under
by promoting economic development and
implementation for over nine years. It is a
providing access to basic services that can
hundred percent Centrally Sponsored
improve the quality of life of the rural
Scheme, which primarily aims to provide
poor. It is believed that eliminating the
all weather road connectivity to over 1.60
isolation of populated areas with
lakh eligible unconnected habitations. The
previously limited accessibility can
works are executed by the State
provide the population greater access to
Governments and monitored by the
critical goods, as well as essential social
Ministry of Rural Development through
services. It also creates the opportunity for
the National Rural Roads Development
development of these services in their
Agency (NRRDA) set up for this purpose.
localities. Improved access to jobs provides
Objectives of the impact assessment study
opportunities for the poor to more fully
are to assess the impact of PMGSY roads
participate in the economy and thus gain
on the local areas and on economic sectors
from the benefits of growth.
in general and in particular on:

The empirical evidence at the

macroeconomic level of the positive

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CMI Social Research Centre
 IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF PRADHAN MANTRI GRAM SADAK YOJANA (PMGSY)

 Agricultural Growth, particularly, in Profile of Habitations and

increasing market access for Households Covered
agricultural products;
Basic information on profile of the sample
 Income and employment generation
habitations was collected from the
(both direct and indirect, in short-run
respondents of Focused Group Discussion
and in long-run);
(FGD) held at the habitation level and the
 Access to healthcare, education and
officials of implementing agencies in the
other facilities and the resultant
respective districts. In all, 18655
outcomes;
households have been interviewed under
 Gender empowerment and up-liftment
the study in order to assess the impact of
of socially and economically
the programme and to obtain their views
disadvantaged sections;
on various implementation processes.
 Poverty reduction.
Basic information on profile of household

A total of 17 States, 50 districts and 748 was collected at the time of household

sample habitations were covered under the survey. This analysis provides for the

study. 18655 households were interviewed necessary context for understanding and

from these habitations in order to assess interpreting the findings and for

the impact of PMGSY. As per the design of explaining the trends and correlations

the study, 5 habitations from each of the between certain findings and the profile of

selected district were to be covered as habitations and respondents.

control unit.  Out of the 748 habitations covered

In order to determine whether the results under the study 546 habitations were

are of specifically the PMGSY roads on the connected by new constructions and

set of key indicators, a comparison by 202 habitations were connected by

assessing the impact on the same set of key upgraded roads.

indicators in the control habitations was  Majority of the habitations covered in

planned. A total of 250 control habitations the states of Arunachal Pradesh

and 6241 households in these habitations (93.33%), Gujarat (51.11%), Sikkim

were also covered during the study for the (70.00%), and Tripura (55.17%) had

purpose. more than 50% of the households

belonging to SC/ST category.
 Out of the total 18655 households
interviewed, 32.21% of them were APL

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Executive Summary
 Impact Assessment of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)
families and 67.79% were reported to connectivity even before PMGSY road
be BPL. was constructed for them.
 Only 21.85% of the households  More than 90% of the sample
interviewed were from SC, 24.33 % habitations covered in the states of
were from ST category and 53.82% of Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and
the respondent households were from Uttar Pradesh have reported
other castes. improvement in terms of all season
 Out of the 18655 households, 15830 motorized access after PMGSY road
(84.86%) households had family size was constructed. In Jharkhand, where
upto 5 members, 2824 (15.14%) none of the habitations had motorized
households had more than 5 members. access during all season, now all the
habitations are having all season
Connectivity Provided by PMGSY
motorized access.

In order to assess the success of the  Improvements have also happened in

scheme, information on type of road terms of public transport facilities to

access before PMGSY, changes in all these habitations. In 31% habitations

season motorized access after the where prior to the construction of

construction of the road and resultant PMGSY road no bus transport was

improvements in public transport facilities available, have at least one bus plying

in these habitations were collected and in a week after the PMGSY road was

analyzed. constructed. Similarly 48% habitations

have jeeps/cars coming there after the
 PMGSY has benefitted mostly those
PMGSY road was constructed. In
habitations, which were acutely
almost 40% habitations light trucks
deprived of all weather road
have started plying after the PMGSY
connectivity. Before the PMGSY road
road was constructed.
was constructed, 37% habitations were
connected by only earth work roads, Impact on Agriculture
29% of the habitations were connected
It is believed that better connectivity
by earth work roads though motor-able
resulting in easier access to markets and
and 12% of the habitations had
improved flow of information can attribute
gravel/water bound macadam layer
to many improvements in agricultural
road access to the habitations. 22% of
production and incomes of the farmers in
the habitations had all weather road
the area.

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CMI Social Research Centre
 IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF PRADHAN MANTRI GRAM SADAK YOJANA (PMGSY)

 Improved connectivity can result in  It was found that 11% households

changes in cropping patterns followed growing cereals have reported an
by the farmers in the area The data increase in quantities sold as compared
reflects that there has been a reduction to the period before PMGSY.
in % cropped area after PMGSY under  35% households growing cereals have
cereals by (-) 0.32%. similarly the reported increase in the average
%cropped area under pulses has also realized price post PMGSY. Majority of
reduced by (-) 1.15% and there has the households growing cereals in
been an increase of 1.23% in the % Gujarat (73%), Karnataka (56%),
cropped area under vegetables, fruits Madhya Pradesh (79%) and Rajasthan
and other cash crops after the PMGSY (53%) have reported increase in
road was constructed. average realized price.
 5% of the households growing cereals  58% households growing pulses have
in their land have also reported reported increase in the average
increased use of fertilizers after the realized price post PMGSY.
PMGSY road was constructed. 7% of  Improved agricultural incomes and
the households growing cereals also prosperity in the areas are also
reported increased use of improved reflected by the fact that in the
seeds post PMGSY. 18% of the connected habitations now 45% of the
households have reported increase in households have acquired a Tractor
quantity of production post PMGSY. after the construction of PMGSY road
 The road connectivity under PMGSY in their habitation, 41% have acquired a
also has an impact on the marketing Power Tiller, 22% a Thrasher, 22%
related factors; roads have brought Water lifting pump set and 45% have
markets to the villages and facilitated acquired other farm machinery.
farmers accessing the markets easily.
Impact on Employment
0.51% farmers growing cereals have
Generation
shifted from selling their produce to
on-farm gate local traders to outside The ultimate solution for the employment
traders after PMGSY road was problems in rural areas lies in creating
constructed, whereas this change was infrastructure, better connectivity and
reported by only 0.08% farmers in the increased employment opportunities by
control habitations.

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Executive Summary
 Impact Assessment of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)
connecting such areas to the markets and Impact on Income & Poverty
to places of employment in abundance. Alleviation

 35% households reported increase in In the absence of roads the rural populace
number of days of employment in the is deprived of reaching to opportunities
principal occupation of their earning and opportunities reaching them. The aim
members post PMGSY. behind providing all season connectivity
 Out of the 37% households who have under PMGSY has been to link these areas
reported increase in total days to the markets and other facilities so as to
employed of all earning members of counter their deprivation and help them
their family, 2% reported the increase improve their incomes and alleviate
of upto 50 days in a year as compared themselves from the burden of poverty.
to the pre-PMGSY period. 31%
 6324 households were found owning
reported increase of 51-100 days, 2%
agriculture land and engaged in
reported an increase of 101-150 days,
agricultural activities. Out of them 37%
1% reported increase of 151-200 days
households reported increase in the
and 0.74% reported increase of more
gross value realized of the total
than 200 days.
production as compare to the gross
 56% of the persons who reported their
value realized before construction of
principal occupation as construction
the PMGSY road.
labour have reported increase in
 63% of the households reported an
number of days of employment.
increase in the average annual income
 6% of the households have reported
in their principal occupations.
that at least one of their earning
 Some states like Chhattisgarh (46%),
members has shifted their place of
Maharashtra (32%), Sikkim (28%) and
employment from within the habitation
Tamil Nadu (42%) have reported
to outside the habitation.
comparatively less number of
 Only 3% of them reported change in
households reporting an increase in
their principal occupation after the
average annual income in all
road was constructed.
occupations as compared to their
average annual income during the year
before the construction of the PMGSY
road.

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CMI Social Research Centre
 IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF PRADHAN MANTRI GRAM SADAK YOJANA (PMGSY)

 In 91% habitations the respondents as compared to their score before

have reported that there has been an PMGSY.
overall increase in the income levels of  13% of the households have reported
the people in the habitations as a result owning better dwelling unit as
of the PMGSY road. compared to the type of house they
 65% households reported increase in owned before the construction of
average annual income in all PMGSY road.
occupations, 3% have reported increase  Out of the 748 sample habitations
upto 10%, 24% reported an increase of covered under the study, in 5%
11-35%, 8% households reported an habitations there has been new
increase of 36-50% and 30% households enterprise(s)/ industry (ies) setup,
reported an increase in average annual feasibility of which was possible only
income of more than 50% after the after the new connectivity was
PMGSY road was constructed. provided.
 In order to assess the changes and  In case of 58% habitations more people
improvements in the quality of life of have been going out for seeking
the households living in the habitations employment. In case of 11%
after the construction of PMGSY road, habitations, it was reported that more
an assessment of their status on 13 people have now coming in to the
socio-economic parameters used in the habitation for work after the
BPL Census 2002 was conducted. construction of the road. 26%
 Out of 18655 households surveyed, habitations reported that both in and
12647 households were BPL out migration has increased due to the
households. 66.22% BPL households road.
have reported increase in the score on
Impact on Health Aspects
socio-economic parameters, the
average increase in score was 5. 28% Better roads provide faster all season
BPL households reported an increase access to the health facilities and time
upto 10% in their scores, 31% reported remains very crucial in case of health
an increase of 11-25%, 26% BPL emergencies.
households reported an increase of 26-
 83% habitations were such where the
50% and 16% BPL households have
road has provided all weather
reported an increase of more than 50%
connectivity to the nearest PHC. 83%

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Executive Summary
 Impact Assessment of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)
habitations have also been provided all infrastructure, institutions, increase in
weather connectivity to the nearest manpower and other improvements in the
Government hospital now and 82% educational aspects. In order to assess the
habitations have all weather changes in the sample habitations, details
connectivity to nearest private on status of education facilities before and
hospital/nursing home after PMGSY after PMGSY road collected.
road was constructed. All these
 It was found that there has been an
habitations did not have a pucca road
increase in number of Anganwadi
to reach these facilities before the road
centers in 17% of the sample
was constructed.
habitations after the construction the
 87% habitations there has been a
PMGSY road.
reduction in the travel time to reach the
 15% of the habitations provided
nearest health facility in case of
connectivity under PMGSY have
maternity emergencies.
reported increase in number of schools
 In case of 88% habitations there has
post PMGSY.
been a reduction in the travel time to
 19% habitations have reported that
reach the nearest health facility in case
after the construction of PMGSY road,
of serious physical injuries/accidents.
there has been a regular provision for
 22% sample habitations also reported
mid-day meals for the students in their
that there has been an increase in
habitations.
availability/visits of government
 62% of the male children of eligible age
doctors to the habitations after the road
were enrolled in a college before
was constructed.
PMGSY road which increased to 71%
 In the sample habitations, 76% women
after the road was constructed. 71%
of the respondent households delivered
female children were enrolled in a
a child at home before the PMGSY road
college which was reduced to 69% after
was constructed. After the improved
the road was constructed.
connectivity the proportion of women
 77% habitations have also reported that
having child birth at home was reduce
the families in these habitations are
to 57% in these habitations.
willing to send more of their girls for

Impact on Education higher schools now after the road

connectivity have improved.
The provision of an all season road in the
villages facilitates creation of

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CMI Social Research Centre
 IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF PRADHAN MANTRI GRAM SADAK YOJANA (PMGSY)

of the road. 72% habitations have better

Impact on Other Aspects connectivity to the Gram Panchayat
office now and 52% habitations have
The study was also aimed at assessing the
reported reduction in travel time to
improvements in other aspects of the lives
reach the GP.
of the deprived and disadvantaged
 In case of 7% habitations there has been
sections of the rural areas after the
an increase in the number of PDS shops
construction of the road.
those have come up after the
 63% habitations, more number of the
construction of the road.
inhabitant families were inclined to
 It was seen that in 65% habitations
construct pucca houses after the
there has been increase in number of
construction of the PMGSY road.
households having electricity
 61% habitations, more families were
connections after the road was
reported to be inclined to construct
constructed.
sanitary latrines after the construction

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Executive Summary