Odisha to build concrete roads in villages at Rs 1,870 cr

The Odisha Panchayati Raj Minister Kalpataru Das has stated that the State government will spend about Rs 1,870 crore on construction of concrete roads in all gram panchayats in the next three years. The government will spend Rs 623.60 crore per annum for the next three years for making pucca roads in all gram panchayats.

Each of the 6,236 gram panchayats in the state will be allocated Rs 10 lakh starting 2013-14, Kalpataru Das said after attending a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Work for the pucca roads will start from April, the Minister said.

The State government, to maintain transparency, also decided to engage village level committees for the construction of the roads instead of giving works to contractors. Under the new scheme, around 48,000 villages, which have not been covered under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) and other schemes, will get better connectivity.

Naveen Patnaik has also directed the departments concerned to give priority to the gram panchayats which are inhabited by tribals and dalits, Das said.