Overview
- The Ministry of Panchayati Raj published a consultation paper this week proposing an Intra-Village Road Coding and Grading System to give every internal village road a unique alphanumeric code and a standard class of Main, Cross, or Other.
- The design links codes to existing systems by using DIGIPIN geospatial identifiers, hosting data on the ministry’s Gram Manchitra platform, and validating entries through PMGSY’s OMMS to avoid duplicate records.
- Gram panchayats would have the authority to identify, name and grade roads, place bilingual signboards with QR codes, and review entries annually through Gram Panchayat Development Plans.
- The proposal was circulated first to areas covered by SVAMITVA and is formally in a public and state consultation phase with Punjab signalling interest and other states still to respond.
- Implementation depends on state uptake, funding, local capacity to survey lanes with SVAMITVA imagery, and decisions on data sharing and governance that will determine whether maps and navigation quality improve as the ministry claims.