The Central government has earmarked Rs 189.07 billion (bn) for construction of 26,474 kilometres of rural roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana and other rural connectivity initiatives for the financial year 2026-27, the Rural Development Ministry said. The allocation was reviewed at a high-level meeting chaired by the Secretary of the Department of Rural Development, Rohit Kansal, to assess state-wise physical and financial progress under PMGSY and the Road Connectivity Project for Left Wing Extremism affected areas. The meeting focused on achieving saturation of rural connectivity in left-out habitations. The review stressed quality and long-term sustainability, and the secretary directed adherence to standards and effective maintenance to ensure reliable connectivity. States were urged to coordinate with implementing agencies and to complete works in districts affected by left wing extremism. Special attention was given to unconnected habitations under PMGSY-I and the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan and to Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group habitations. The ministry called for universal all-weather roads and asked states to fast-track Detailed Project Reports and resolve execution bottlenecks to meet timelines. Enhanced field-level inspections and quality monitoring systems were recommended to strengthen oversight during execution. States were instructed to expedite land acquisition and forest clearance proposals that delayed project milestones. The review urged wider deployment of the e-MARG platform for electronic maintenance monitoring, performance assessment and payment tracking to improve transparency, accountability and efficiency. The secretary issued state-specific directions to strengthen coordination among state governments, the National Rural Infrastructure Development Agency and the ministry to tackle implementation issues. Emphasis was placed on adherence to prescribed timelines and on bolstering institutional arrangements for maintenance. Senior officials from states including Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Telangana participated and presented targeted action plans. The states assured the ministry that pending works and annual targets would be completed within the prescribed timelines.