New Delhi: The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) has exceeded its target for rural road construction in the first quarter of the current fiscal year, with 6,403 kilometres of roads constructed against a target of 6,000 km, Business Standard reported.The report cited the National Statistical Office (NSO) in its latest Twenty Point Programme (TPP) progress report for the April-June quarter of FY24.Interestingly, this is the first time in eight years that the scheme has achieved its first-quarter target. It has been under-performing in recent years. The worst performance was in the first quarter of FY19 when only 9% of the target was achieved.During April-June 2016, the scheme only achieved 71% of its target, followed by completion of 75% of the works in the following year, the business daily said.During April-September 2022, only 41% of the target could be constructed during the stipulated period.The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation monitors the programme’s performance and considers it “poor” if it falls below 80% of its targets.Currently in its third phase, PMGSY focuses on consolidating the rural road network to connect agricultural markets, schools, and hospitals. It is part of a poverty-reduction strategy.However, the budget allocation for the programme remained the same at Rs 19,000 crores in the 2023-24 budget.The last time the scheme had achieved its target was in the first quarter of 2015. It had surpassed its target by 206% and the total length of constructed roads stood at 10,726 km as against the targeted 5,200 km in the quarter, the newspaper reported.Launched in 2005, PMGSY was a centrally sponsored scheme. From 2015-16, the funding is being shared between the Union government and the states in the ratio of 60:40.According to the government website, the primary objective of the PMGSY is to provide connectivity, by way of an all-weather road (with necessary culverts and cross-drainage structures, which is operable throughout the year), to the not connected habitations so far in the rural areas.In a written response submitted to the Lok Sabha earlier this year, Union minister of state for rural development, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, said that only 18,983 km out of the sanctioned 99,319 km have been completed in the third phase, covering the period from FY20 to FY25.This phase focuses on consolidating of the rural road network connecting gramin agricultural markets, higher secondary schools, and hospitals with the objective to impact agriculture, healthcare, education, urbanisation, and employment generation.