The Odisha government is lagging in the schedule of completing the development of 2,700 km for 2021-22. It has managed to build just 272.75 km of rural roads under the flagship Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). Recognised as a best-performing state in the development of rural roads, Odisha has attained development of 62,465 km by rendering all-weather connectivity to 16,301 out of 16,382 feasible habitations. Road construction under PMGSY for the current financial year has remained a non-starter in Bhadrak, Balasore, Nabarangpur, Jagatsinghpur and Sonepur districts, while the progress is critically low in many others. There has been notable progress in tribal-dominated districts of Malkangiri (44.26 km), Kandhamal (20 km), Koraput (60.71 km) and Bargarh (40 km). The state government has rendered connectivity to 146 habitations out of the 326 targeted for the current financial year. With an unused balance of Rs 1,116 crore as of April 1, 2021, the centre has made a budgetary provision of Rs 666.67 crore in FY22 out of which the state’s share is Rs 266.67 crore. The Ministry of Rural Development has suggested to the state government about the falling of seven roads, five in Cuttack district and two in Kalahandi, from the list of approved projects. Work contracts of these projects, approved in 2017-18, have not been granted by the State Rural Road Development Agency (SRRDA) despite repeated time extensions by the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD). Image Source Also read: J&K to develop 4,500 km of roads under PMGSY this year