Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Mar 13: BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Gulam Ali Khatana today raised serious concerns in the Rajya Sabha over alleged irregularities in the construction of rural roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) in Jammu and Kashmir.
He urged the Government of India to order a comprehensive audit and quality inspection of the works.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Khatana said the flagship scheme was launched to provide all-weather road connectivity to rural habitations across the country, including J&K.
However, he alleged that several roads constructed under PMGSY in the Union Territory have deteriorated within a short period after completion, developing potholes, cracks and surface damage, which raises serious concerns about the quality of construction and monitoring mechanisms.
He informed the House that according to information shared in Parliament in February 2026, Jammu and Kashmir has received around Rs 10,155 crore in central assistance under PMGSY over the past ten years for strengthening rural road connectivity.
Despite this, the MP alleged that many roads lack proper signboards, grading standards and timely maintenance, with repair works often remaining only on paper.
He further claimed that development works were being executed in a “pick-and-choose” manner under the administration led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, with remote and tribal areas allegedly receiving less attention.
Khatana also expressed concern over what he described as a nexus between some politicians, contractors and engineers, alleging that contractors with questionable track records are repeatedly being awarded projects, resulting in delays, poor quality work and cost overruns.
He urged the Centre to conduct third-party quality inspections, fix accountability for substandard construction, ensure time-bound repairs of damaged roads and put in place a mechanism to appoint alternate contractors if existing contractors fail to complete projects.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
